Like if you agree, wild animals DO NOT belong in circuses!: “Animal circuses”: Cruel entertainment or a dying art?”

“I understand, there may be some circuses who do put the animals needs first; I’m not saying all circuses are cruel to their animals! But I still don’t think wild animals should be in cages, travelling from town to town; to perform unnatural tricks, to the paying public; no matter how well they are cared for. The circuses may very well maintain their animals are well fed & cared for, that’s all well & good. But no pitched circus can provide its animals with a likeness to the animals own living habitats. It would be impossible for circuses to provide lions or tigers with rocks, caves, trees, brush or access to a lake, for tigers & other animals that love the water. These are the basics, so the animals can exhibit their natural behaviour; especially when they are constantly on the move! The council floor space granted to the circuses probably just about holds all the wagons carrying the animals, along with all the trucks needed to erect the circus tents, caravans & other stalls etc. So there is little room for the animals between performances; to act in a natural way!

Horses & zebra love to run round etc. but In the News Link below, it says that ponies are tethered to the circus tents, camels are tethered in fields, with horses in temporary stables & makeshift paddocks; animals can not express their natural instincts when denied their normal living habitats! Where do the tigers or lions go when not performing; tigers love to swim! Or do they just stay in their beast wagons? I’ve seen enough evidence to convince me that circus animals are not happy animals! They are denied their basic instincts, they are not meant to perform or stay in holding cells in between shows. As such many animals exhibit repetitive stereotypical behaviour; due to their lifestyles, they would never do it in the wild! So I still say wild animals do not belong in any type of exhibit where they are forced to perform…it’s wrong & about time our Government got off their backsides & implemented a BAN like they promised! .”

POST By Jonathan Brown 26/9/2014 http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ 

Changing times: With a legal ban on the use of wild animal acts in UK circuses impending, Jonathan Brown goes behind the scenes at one of only two left in the UK to get to the heart of the debate.

Petra Jackson pictured with Zebedee the zebra at Circus Mondao, in Tingley, Leeds. Picture by Simon Hulme

Behind the big top at Circus Mondao – one of only two licensed animal circuses in the UK – zebras, camels and reindeer are roaming to the disgust of animal rights campaigners.

At its current resting place at Thorpe Lane, Tingley, there are Shetland ponies tethered to the circus tent, camels tethered in the fields, while its seven horses are split between airy temporary stables and makeshift paddocks to keep them separated from the freely wandering elderly zebra ‘Zebedee’.

By any means it’s a strange, if not slightly unnatural, sight to see at fields between Leeds and Wakefield nevertheless the animals seem contented and oblivious to the legal and moral storm that surrounds Circus Mondao’s very existence.

Next month draft legislation to enforce an outright ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, which could eventually come into force by December 2015, will have its crucial second reading amid increasing public protests.

Touring the circus on its eighth visit to rural Tingley in as many years, a vast convoy of 17 trucks, cars and caravans hauled around the country by a 30-strong workforce nine months of the year is gearing up for its next show.

We’re led around the site by veteran ringmistress Petra Jackson as Romanian gymnasts warm up in the big top and the animals are given time to relax outside. She is immediately on the defensive. “Have a look at where our animals live – you can’t believe everything you read on the internet,” she said. “It’s very hard to get our voice across. They are not kept in a shoebox under the bed, they’re grazing freely with fresh food and fresh water.”

It’s not surprising that she is on her guard. Life on the road with a modern day animal circus consists of a relentless stream of protests and media criticism outside of daily performances and weekly travel.

But having entered circus life aged 16 to train and care for dogs and ponies, Ms Jackson is used to the pressure. She has spent 22 years in the industry and joined Circus Mondao nine years ago.

Forthright in her view that all her animals live fulfilling lives, she is adamant that traditional circus is by no means the “Victorian relic” campaigners suggest.

“The people who come and see the show don’t say it’s outdated – it’s not what the general public are saying,” she said.

“The Great British public want to be able to make their own decision about what they want to see. If they didn’t want to see animals perform in the circus they wouldn’t come to see us and we would be out of business.” “The public did make their own decision about animals in circuses, according to a report by Born Free Foundation and RSPCA (2006).   “See Link To PDF – Its time Parliament changed it’s act;Below”

 98.9% of readers of the Sunday Mirror newspaper who expressed a view thought that the UK’s only remaining circus elephant (see section 6.1 – UK Circus elephant) should retire (2005). 

The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee The Environment,Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) is a cross-party committee appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure,administration,and policy of the Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and its associated bodies. In its examination of the Animal Welfare Bill,the Committee has recommended that: In addition,to date (11/01/06),92 Members of Parliament have signed Early Day Motion No.468 recognising that the circus environment cannot provide for the needs of wild animals. The use of wild animals in circuses be prohibited The use of all other performing animals in circuses,television,theatre,films,advertising etc.be licensed “See Link To PDF – Its time Parliament changed it’s act;Below”

In spite of her defiance, the evidence suggests the days of UK animal circus acts are numbered – even aside from the looming change in the law.

From 1998/9 the number of circuses practicing with wild animals in the UK fell from 20 to four in just five years, with dwindling audiences and high-profile animal cruelty cases contributing to the fact that only two such circuses exist today.

Circus Mondao, with its collection of over 30 mainly grazing stock, and Peter Jolly’s Circus, which features five lions and tigers, have rarely been out of the headlines as a result.

And having worked with big cats herself, Ms Jackson is hardly damning of their use. “The natural environment out there isn’t what it used to be with deforestation and there is so much more poaching and hunting going on,” she said. “People don’t realise they (big cats) relax a lot in the daytime and what they do in the circus is no different to what they do in the wild – they jump and leap from one rock to another, it’s just a trained movement.”

She argues that most circus animals are “captive bred” and are used to a circus routine which causes them no harm, meaning animals such as Mondao’s zebra and one of its mules have easily outlasted their predicted life expectancies.

“The tide of opinion is against us. There’s no scientific evidence against us. We’ve been inspected by the Government, they have licensed us and all the inspections that have happened previously didn’t find anything wrong with the animals in the circus, it’s just that the animal rights people don’t think it’s right to have them in captivity.”

5.3 Abnormal behaviour
It is known that wild animals in captivity often display abnormal behaviour,with a particular problem being repetitive, seemingly functionless actions referred to as stereotypic behaviour. Stereotypic behaviour may be the result of frustrated needs,or be a coping mechanism developed in a current or previous inadequate or stressful environment,and the presence of stereotypic behaviour is generally acknowledged to be an indicator of current or previous poor welfare. Evidence exists for stereotypic behaviour being significant in circus animals (e.g.Friend & Parker 1999,Gruber 2000,Krawczel et al.2005, Schmid 1995),and this is supported by anecdotal evidence and video footage. Indeed,legislation in New Zealand attempts to tackle the problem,stating that animals displaying continuous signs of distress must not be held or used in circuses. Presence of stereotypic behaviour in some species may serve as partial evidence that circuses are unable to meet the needs of wild animals.  “See Link To PDF – Its time Parliament changed it’s act;Below”

Nationwide around 200 local authorities, including Leeds City Council, have pre-empted a wider ban by refusing to warrant animal circuses using council-owned land.

The arrival of Circus Mondao and Peter Jolly’s Circus in West Yorkshire last year attracted the attention of protestors in Otley and Queensbury, Bradford, last year, and Circus Mondao’s visits to Thornton, Calverley and Tingley so far have attracted similar responses from the likes of Leeds Animal Protection and Bradford and Calderdale Animal Friends.

Meanwhile Animal Defenders International has called on residents to avoid the circus as wild animal acts are an “outdated practice which is overwhelmingly opposed by the public”.

Jan Creamer, president of ADI, said: “Most people are now aware of the terrible suffering of wild animals in circuses and shun such acts. A national ban has been promised but, until it is brought in, these animals are forced to perform silly tricks and endure conditions which deny them their natural behaviours. We urge local people not to support circus suffering.”

Recent high profile cases of mistreatment have scarred the perception of animal circuses for many. Circus owner Bobby Roberts was given a three-year conditional discharge in 2012 for mistreating the UK’s last circus elephant. The conviction came after a groom was secretly filmed striking the 58-year-old elephant, called Anne, with a pitchfork in early 2011.

Nevertheless animal cruelty and circuses are not necessarily intertwined. Both remaining UK animal circuses are regularly vetted and have been licensed by DEFRA.

In fact after publishing the Wild Animals in Circuses Report which looks set to bring about the ban on wild animal acts, committee chair Anne McIntosh MP said “there is no overwhelming welfare case for a ban on wild animals in travelling circuses”, stating there are already laws in place to deal with welfare abuse.

But whether wild animal acts are at all necessary or viable remains debatable. Either way, the impending ban looks set to spell the end of a 150-year-old industry.

Ms Jackson added: “We don’t know what’s going to happen, that’s very true. We don’t think like to think about it.”

HISTORY OF ANIMAL CIRCUSES IS CHEQUERED

• The use of animals in the circus dates back around a century and a half.
• Prior to travelling circuses and the advent of public zoos, those wanting to lay their eyes on exotic wild animals would head to fairs.
• Before animals were exhibited, travelling shows were likely to be exhibiting people with physical abnormalities, regarded at the time as ‘freaks of nature’.
• From the 19th Century animals were taken on tour as displays of exotic creatures before they were combined with traditional circus shows – the first true animal acts involved horses.
• US circus performer Isaac Van Amburgh is recognised as the first wild animal trainer in circus history, having entered a cage with several big cats as early as 1833.
• Equestrian circus became a world phenomenon during the 1800s, with travelling circuses pitching up American-style big top tents from the mid 1830s.
• In Europe, the travelling circus and menagerie reached its peak between the two world wars.
• But while exotic animals once drew large crowds, the animal rights movements of the 1960s onwards pressured circuses to re-think their links with animals.
• Shows began to present circus in a more artistic light, while many circuses began to end or amend their association with animal acts.
• Although not a travelling circus, German-American duo Siegfried & Roy who performed with white lions and tigers in Las Vegas ended their 13-year stage careers after Roy was attacked and nearly killed by a seven-year-old male tiger named Montecore in 2003.
• Such high profile accidents were added to by cases of ill treatment among some of the more unscrupulous circuses and began to shape perceptions.

News Link:-http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/animal-circuses-cruel-entertainment-or-a-dying-art-1-6862167

 Public Opinion.
Recent decades have seen increasing public exposure to media such as television documentaries and to foreign travel, allowing people the opportunity to observe either directly or indirectly animals in the wild, their natural behaviour and habitats. In addition, examples of animal cruelty such as those uncovered during the investigation and successful prosecution of individuals from the Chipperfield family in 1997-1999 have aroused considerable public concern. It is of little surprise therefore that there has been a concurrent decline in the popularity of circuses featuring performing wild animals, which in turn may have led to circuses disposing of their wild animal acts. There have been several polls that serve to indicate this change in public opinion:“See Link To PDF – Its time Parliament changed it’s act;Below”

NOW:-Take action!

Ask the government to keep their promise to end the use of all wild animals in circuses by 2015!

If your local authority has allowed animal circuses on council-owned land, you can write a letter expressing your concernto your local councillor.
[1]  Harris S, Iossa G & Soulsbury CD (2006) A review of the welfare of wild animals in circuses (PDF 404KB). Report submitted to the Circus Working Group, 4 December.

Relevant documents

A report into the welfare of circus animals in England and Wales (1998) (230KB)

A review of the welfare of wild animals in circuses (2006) (PDF 632KB)

It’s time Parliament changed its Act: An examination of the state of UK circuses with wild animals (2006) (PDF 1.25MB) (Part of PDF Link noted above)

News Link:-http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/captivity/circuses

Wild animals in captivity

In 2012, the Westminster Government announced it would finally grant wild animals in circuses their long overdue ban. Two and a half years later and it appears that the government has turned its back on wild animals in the circus.

Our last chance before the election lies with Jim Fitzpatrick MP who has tabled a banning bill to pick up where the government has left off. The banning bill will have it’ssecond reading on 17 October. This is a very important date as it could be our very last chance to see this much discussed ban become a reality.

 News Link By RSPCA: http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/bigstop/-/articleName/CAM_The_Big_Stop_v2

Breeding animals for a few generations doesn’t wipe out thousands of years of evolution; essentially a tiger born in a circus has the same needs as a tiger born in the wild.

We’re not saying that the wild is an idyllic place free from problems – it’s not! But animals have evolved over thousands of years, adapting to live in certain types of natural environments.

Placing an animal in surroundings that are unsuitable for the species can cause stress and behavioural problems. Animals kept in an improper environment or fed the wrong diet can suffer, resulting in illness or death. In some environments, we believe it’s best not to keep certain wild animals at all, as their needs cannot be met – particularly if the animal is there for entertainment. Examples are;

• Primates as pets,
• Elephants in zoos (PDF 1158KB),
• Whales and dolphins in dolphinaria,
• Wild animals in circuses.

If you cannot meet the needs of an animal then you should not keep that animal.

 News Link By RSPCA:-http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/captivity/-/articleName/WLD_InCaptivity

Wild animals don’t belong in circuses…

The complex needs of wild animals can never be adequately met in a circus environment and regular transport, cramped and bare temporary housing, forced training and performance are all unavoidable realities for the animals.

We have no confidence in the licensing scheme introduced by the government as an interim measure while the ban was being passed. Put simply, it does virtually nothing to protect the welfare of wild animals in circuses.
So what are we waiting for? In March 2012 the Westminster Government announced it would ban wild animals in circuses and the Welsh Government later announced they were keen for Wales to be included in the legislation. However, the animals are still waiting.

Take action, email your MP now and urge them throw their support behind this ‘last chance’ bIll…

News Link RSPCA:-http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/bigstop/-/articleName/CAM_The_Big_Stop_v2

Related articles

• Huge Victory! UK Ban on ALL Wild Animals in Circuses to Go into Effect in 2015 (onegreenplanet.org)
• Travelling circus under fire for use of wild animals after arriving in Wirral (liverpoolecho.co.uk)
• Campaign to ban wild circus animals wins huge public support (environmentaleducationuk.wordpress.com)
• Animal circus in Chepstow under attack (southwalesargus.co.uk)
• Circuses remove last of the big cats from UK’s big tops (guardian.co.uk)

Breaking News: Animal Cruelty Charges Filed Against Workers at DiGiorno Cheese Supplier

” This heinous cruelty & horrific torture must be stopped; no animal should be treated this way. They are sentient beings capable of feelings just like humans! Do meat eaters really want to eat meat from animals that have been appallingly abused! The public have a right to know how the animals they intend to eat, are treated!

Those farms hoping to get Ag-Gag laws are doing so; because they don’t want the public to learn the truth, about the horrific violence & abuse used on their animals; once the public learn of this, they will think twice about buying their products. The people have the power to stop this by raising their voices & demanding better conditions for these poor neglected, abused & heinously treated animals; please use your voice to end this!! Please sign the petition below or at http://www.sliceofcruelty.com/

February 13, 2014 – By Matt Rice

Four workers at a dairy farm that was supplying cheese to DiGiorno Pizza are being charged with a total of 11 counts of criminal animal cruelty. Each count is punishable by up to nine months in jail and $10,000 in fines.

The charges stem from shocking animal abuse captured on a hidden-camera video by Mercy For Animals at a Wisconsin dairy farm late last year. Abelardo Jaimes, Crescencio Pineda, Lucia Martinez, and Misael Monge-Minero were charged with violating the state’s animal cruelty statute after they were caught on video viciously kicking, beating, whipping, dragging and stabbing cows at Wiese Brothers Farms in Greenleaf, Wisconsin.

MFA praises the Brown County Sheriff’s Department and district attorney’s office for taking swift and decisive action in pursuing justice for these abused and exploited animals.

Mercy For Animals is calling on Nestlé to adopt meaningful animal welfare guidelines, including zero tolerance for kicking, punching and shocking cows; requiring suppliers to prohibit painful and unnecessary mutilations of animals; and requiring suppliers to provide a safe, clean and sanitary environment for cattle. Tens of thousands of consumers have signed a petition at SliceOfCruelty.com, urging Nestlé to implement such policies, since the investigation’s release.

“These criminal charges should be a wake-up call that heartbreaking animal abuse runs rampant at DiGiorno cheese suppliers. Swift action must be taken to end this unspeakable cruelty. Nestlé has the power and responsibility to implement meaningful policies to end some of the worst forms of animal abuse in the dairy industry,” said MFA’s executive director, Nathan Runkle. “No socially responsible corporation should support dairy operations that torture animals.” 

Please take action now to stop this type of blatant animal abuse by signing the petition at SliceOfCruelty.com.

After signing the petition, consider making changes in your own lifestyle to help animals by transitioning to a healthy and humane vegan diet. Visit ChooseVeg.com to learn more.

Watch the shocking hidden-camera video that led to the charges here:

Viewer Discretion Advised – WATCH: Cows Kicked, Stabbed and Dragged at DiGiorno Pizza Cheese Supplier (Please note, these are sentient beings, capable of feeling every strike, punch or kick) should animals be treated like this; just because they are going to be slaughtered? THE ANSWER IS NO!!

 Published on 10 Dec 2013

Horrific undercover video taken by a Mercy For Animals investigator reveals disgusting animal cruelty at a DiGiorno dairy supplier. Workers kick, beat, and stab cows and drag them by their fragile legs and necks using chains attached to tractors. 

Take action at http://www.SliceOfCruelty.com

Cruelty Critics

“The video captures workers engaged in numerous serious acts of direct physical abuse and overt brutality—they whip, beat, slap, kick, stab and yell profanity at the cows. … There is a culture of serious neglect and mistreatment of animals in this facility, and the animals are suffering. This must stop.”

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Dr. Debra Teachout

“There is no question in my mind, as a veterinarian experienced with farmed animals, including cows, that much of what was being done to the cows was inhumane, brutal and almost certainly a violation of the anti-cruelty statutes of many if not all states.”

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Dr. Nedim Buyukmihci

“Dragging live cows, and completely suspending them with the cow lift is severe animal abuse. The actions of these people went beyond rough handling and escalated to the level of cruelty. Kicking, beating, and hard whipping of downed cows is abusive.”

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Dr. Temple Grandin

“It is abuse to beat, kick or whip an animal that cannot get up. Hitting an animal in the face is particularly painful. The fact that cows in other scenes are beaten or kicked in the head and face demonstrates the workers have either learned or have been trained that this bothers the animals more than hitting them on other areas of their bodies.”

By Dr. James Reynolds

“Workers were observed to hit, kick and whip downer cows on multiple occasions. Cows were hit in their cervical (neck), thoracic, lumbar, and head regions using hands, ropes, and a thin plastic pipe. All of these actions would have unnecessary and unjustifiable pain and suffering.”

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Dr. Katherine van Ekert Onay

List from:-http://www.sliceofcruelty.com/

Emily Deschanel’s PETA Ad Targets Troubling Dairy Farm Practices (Video)

Bones’ star Emily Deschanel has joined with PETA to highlight controversial practices within the U.S. dairy industry.

Emily Deschanel Reveals Shocking Dairy Farm Cruelty (Some Distressing Scenes)

Published on 6 May 2013

Emily Deschanel has the joy of raising her son every day, but mother cows on dairy farms have their calves torn away from them just hours after they’re born. Removing dairy products from your diet helps cows and keeps you and your family healthier. Find out how to cut dairy products out of your diet:https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy…

The ad was released in advance of Mother’s Day and criticizes the separation of dairy cows from their young, tail docking and other controversial practices faced by themore than 9 million dairy cows in the U.S.

Large-scale factory farms are facing scrutiny as reports of animal cruelty have emerged over the past few years. Some dairy farms are particularly problematic due to the forced production of milk and unsanitary living conditions, often inside feed lots without grass, the Humane Society reported in 2008.

Animal rights organizations have received some star-studded endorsements recently,including those from Ke$ha and Ryan Gosling.

News Link:-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/12/emily-deschanel-peta-ad_n_3240370.html?utm_hp_ref=green

Ask Airlines to Stop Shipping Monkeys to Be Tortured :Please Sign Petition

Air Cruelty: Inside the Labs of Two of the Largest U.S. Primate Importers

Published on 27 Sep 2012

Shocking undercover and whistleblower footage from inside the laboratories of Covance and Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories (SNBL), two of the largest importers of primates into the United States for use in cruel experiments.

Every year, tens of thousands of nonhuman primates are transported from countries such as China, Mauritius, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia to the U.S. to be imprisoned in laboratories and tormented in experiments. Some are bred in captivity on cramped, squalid monkey factory farms, while others are stolen from their families in the wild.

The traumatized monkeys are crammed into small wooden crates and transported in the backs of trucks and the dark and terrifying cargo holds of planes, often on passenger flights just below unsuspecting customers. 

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, nearly 23,000 nonhuman primates were brought into the U.S. in 2010—nearly all of them destined for laboratories. Nearly 3,000 monkeys were imported by animal testing conglomerate Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories (SNBL), where recent photos and video footage leaked by a whistleblower show sick, distraught monkeys suffering horribly from tests in which they were injected with experimental chemicals.

Almost every major airline in the world—including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, Air China, China Southern Airlines,China Eastern Airlines, TAM Airlines, El Al Airlines, and dozens of others—refuses to take any part in this violent industry and prohibits the transportation of primates to laboratories.

However, an increasingly small group of airlines—including Air France, Philippine Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines—continues to profit from animals’ misery by transporting monkeys destined for U.S. laboratories.

Please be a voice for the monkeys who are suffering in the primate trade. Take a minute of your time now to urge airlines that still transport monkeys to U.S. laboratories to join their peers and adopt a formal policy against the transportation of nonhuman primates for use in experiments.

Petition Link:–https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3888

Laws Could Keep Americans In The Dark About Animal Cruelty

“More of what I was saying in an earlier post…what have they got to hide that warrants a new laws to keep customers in the dark?? If I still ate meat or dairy products…it would make me all the more suspicious about what they have to hide!!! If a company has to have an Ag-Gag rule, it’s safe to say something is going on that they don’t want the public to know about. How can you be sure the meat you have on your plate wasn’t ridiculed & abused sick MF’s wanting a bit of fun; before it was slaughtered??  By having these stupid new law‘s, they are almost admitting their guilty of something!!

 There’s only one way to make these company’s pay for keeping their abuse behind closed doors; SIMPLY don’t shop at the places they supply!!

Only buy food from sources who have installed CCTV policies; at least you know they do not have anything to hide.  Choose organic meat, I know it might be a tad more expensive but animals on organic farms eat organically grown feed, aren’t confined 100 percent of the time (as they sometimes are on conventional farms), and are raised without antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones. When shopping for organic foods, always look for the USDA seal on any kind of packaged food. For meat and dairy, this seal ensures you’re getting antibiotic- and hormone-free products. When buying meat or produce that isn’t packaged, look for a sign stating that it’s organic, or ask the store clerk.

Chickens raised for food spend their lives in dirty sheds with tens of thousands of other poultry. The intense crowding often leads to outbreaks of disease and unsanitary conditions.

The chickens are pumped with hormones to grow so large that their legs and organs can’t keep up, making heart attacks, organ failure, and growth deformities common.

Disturbingly, state legislators around the country are bowing to corporate pressure and considering laws that will keep consumers in the dark about these abusive conditions by punishing undercover documentation by investigators at slaughterhouses and farms.

The corporate-friendly American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)—also infamously responsible for pushing Stand Your Ground and Voter Suppression ID laws—is lobbying this and similar laws in six states. The laws will criminalize the filming of animal abuse at factory farms, as well as punish those that lie on job applications to get hired.

“This, I think, is a good example of just how much this industry has to hide,” said Paul Shapiro, spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). “You know you’ve got a lot to hide when you want to make it a crime merely to take a photo of what you are doing.”

Bills are being considered in California, Nebraska, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas and Pennsylvania. Other states like Minnesota, Vermont, and North Carolina are expected to consider similar laws.

Videos exposing the suffering of slaughterhouse animals have already sparked many states to pass similar laws to what ALEC is pushing. In Iowa, for example, an “Ag-Gag” law makes it a misdemeanor to infiltrate farms, and Utah bans unauthorized photography in farms.

The New Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic

The latest list of foods with the highest pesticide residue includes some familiar fruits and vegetables, and some surprises.

Foods With Pesticide Residue

The benefits of eating organic food go straight to the farm, where no pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used to grow the organic produce shipped to grocers. That means workers and farm neighbors aren’t exposed to potentially harmful chemicals, it means less fossil fuel converted into fertilizers and it means healthier soil that should sustain crops for generations to come.

For individuals, organic food also has benefits. Eating organic means avoiding the pesticide residue left on foods, and it may even mean more nutritious varietals, though research into that subject has yielded mixed results. While there are few if any proven health impacts from consuming trace quantities of pesticides on foods, a growing number of people take the precaution of avoiding exposure just in case, particularly in the cases of pregnant women (growing babies are exposed to most of the chemicals that mom consume) and the parents of young children.

But organic food can cost more, meaning many families are loathe to shell out the extra cash for organic produce on every shopping trip. That’s what makes the Environmental Working Group‘s annual list of the dirty dozen foods so useful. The group analyzes Department of Agriculture data about pesticide residue and ranks foods based on how much or little pesticide residue they have. The group estimates that individuals can reduce their exposure by 80% if they switch to organic when buying these 12 foods.

The USDA and farm and food industry representatives are quick to remind consumers that the government sets allowable pesticide residue limits it deems safe, and the produce for sale in your grocery store should meet those standards. Watchdogs like Environmental Working Group see those limits as too liberal, and see the dirty dozen list as a teaching tool to educate consumers about the benefits of organic food.

Even Environmental Working Group says that the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables outweighs the known risks of consuming pesticide residue. At TheDailyGreen.com, we always favour educating consumers so that we can make the decision for ourselves.

Note: The 2011 dirty dozen list reflects testing data from the 2010 harvest, and because some pesticide use is dependent on weather conditions that vary by farm, it may not reflect the pesticide residue on produce in your grocery store.

That’s why we include not only those fruits and vegetables on Environmental Working Group’s current list, but produce that has made the list in the past, as well as information about pesticides used to produce meat, dairy and some other favourite foods that aren’t on Environmental Working Group’s latest dirty dozen list.

In general, tree fruits, berries, leafy greens dominate the list. Since the USDA tests produce after a typical household preparation, fruits and vegetables with thick skins that are removed before eating (melons, avocado, corn, etc.) tend to have the lowest amounts of pesticide residue.

If you don’t see a favourite food here, check Whats On My Food, a project of the Pesticide Action Network that makes the same USDA pesticide residue testing data available in an easy-to-use database.

Visit the link below, then click “NEXT” at the bottom of the page. There are 20 pages in full, starting with the worst…Apples, then Celery!!

Click Here : http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#ixzz2OC60EmrD

What’s On My Food?:-  This is a brilliant & easy way to find out how many pesticide residues are left on your food. 

Pesticides – A Public Problem
…on our food, even after washing;
…in our bodies, for years;
…& in our environment, travelling many miles on wind, water and dust.

This is a searchable database designed to make the public problem of pesticide exposure visible and more understandable.

How does this tool work? We link pesticide food residue data with the toxicology for each chemical, making this information easily searchable for the first time.

Use the tool, share it with others: we built it to help move the public conversation about pesticides into an arena where you don’t have to be an expert to participate.

At Pesticide Action Network (PAN), we believe that pesticides are a public health problem requiring public engagement to solve. We want you to have the information you need to take action based on a solid understanding of the issues. What’s On My Food? builds on PAN’s 28-year tradition of making pesticide science accessible

Click here to find out what’s on your food:-http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/  Read The Foot Note!

Earthlings – The Feature Length Documentary About The Suffering Of Animals For Human Gain

“I posted this, way back in February, but have just noticed the video’s were removed??…so here it is again!” 

“Question?, why do humans inflict & perform the most heinous acts of cruelty on animals??

“Answer:- Because they can – simple! Animals can’t talk, they can try to fight back; but when they do, humans just use brute force to overpower them. When you think of it like that…you soon start to realise…it is humans that are the cowards; moreover it is humans are the animals!.”

“By posting this, I’m certainly not trying to convert everyone to become vegetarian or vegan…I’m just sharing the truth about what happens to animals from birth to slaughter. For those that choose to stay meat eaters, watching this might just give you a better understanding of why so many people are choosing  to be vegetarian or vegan.  Seriously, all I ask is that you try to watch as much as you can…as difficult as it is in some parts…it is very informative.”

“After viewing it, people are entitled to their own opinions regards the subject matter! I am not telling people what they should or should not eat, it’s a personal preference. However, the best thing that has happened since the release of this film, is that public attitudes have changed & paved the way for better animal welfare!”

“More & more people are learning, through video films like this, exactly what happens to animals, & more are demanding changes.  Like the great saying by Sir Paul McCartney “If slaughter houses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian’ not sure about all, but it would change many people!”

“Please read everything below the video first, as this gives information about watching in other languages, turning annotations on & off because this is a multi subtitled video. If you can follow English by listening, then you may want to turn off the subtitles to concentrate of the subject matter. Plus it gives a list of websites full of information about food!”

Earthlings – Full length documentary (multi-subtitles)

Uploaded on 13 Dec 2010

EARTHLINGS is the single most powerful and informative documentary about society’s tragic and unforgivable use of nonhuman animals, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix with soundtrack by Moby. Directed by Shaun Monson, this multi-award winning film by Nation Earth is a must-see for anyone who cares about nonhuman animals or wishes to make the world a better place.

PLEASE: don’t run from reality, watch the film and share your thoughts with other viewers in the comments section. Thank you.

For more information:
http://www.adaptt.org
http://www.chooseveg.com
http://www.30bananasaday.com
http://www.foodnsport.com
http://www.pcrm.org
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com
http://www.veganhealth.org
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007n…

If you are under 18 and not allowed to watch, press the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/v/ce4DJh-L7Ys

If you live in Germany and can’t see, press the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tszu9t…

The film’s official website:
http://www.earthlings.com

Use the [CC] button for subtitles in your language.

Subtitles / Captions currently available in 26 languages:
Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, German, Greek, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Galician, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese-BR, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Dutch version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPTMYS…

A request: subtitles in Japanese and Hindi do exist somewhere. If you know how I can get one of them, please let me know. Thanks.

Still didn’t watch the best video I know on Animal Rights – Gary Yourofsky‘s amazing speech? Please do and SHARE it in any way you can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00…

We are all Earthlings – Make the Connection!

About Unity – The next film 

UNITY is the newest film by Shaun Monson for Nation Earth. Written and produced over the past five years, it will be released in 2012. The structure of the film comprises six acts, which are as follows: Body, Mind, Heart and Soul, bookended by a Prologue and Epilogue.

The subject of the film focuses on humanity’s propensity for apathy and empathy. Shaun has described UNITY as a film about opposites, or rather, “Why we perceive opposites in one another despite our various religions (88% of the planet is religious), all our Self-Help books, our 12-Step programs, even our philosophies and vast technology.”

The imagery in UNITY will be an intricate collage of everyday life, some beautiful, some horrible. The film is filled with joy, wonder, sorrow and maturity. As with Shaun’s previous film, EARTHLINGS, the editing once again manages to lead viewers into new and intriguing directions by a mix of unprecedented beauty with heart-breaking tragedy. While it is a cautionary tale, UNITY also hopes to introduce a little grace, philosophy and awareness into more lives than ever before.

A web search will reveal how EARTHLINGS has been the subject of some of the most fanciful descriptions, tributes and accolades ever lauded on a documentary, especially one that tackles such a difficult subject matter. And even though the film was roundly ignored by distributors upon its initial release in 2005, there is no doubting the influence the film had on future documentaries dealing with the same topic, including three films by HBO: DEALING DOGS (2006), I AM AN ANIMAL (2007), and DEATH ON A FACTORY FARM (2009), as well as two Academy Award® nominated films in 2010: FOOD INC., and the Best Documentary Feature, THE COVE.

UNITY picks up where EARTHLINGS left off, except instead of focusing on our relationship with animals, the film explores man’s dualistic relationships with each other. Therefore, the point we wish to make with UNITY is to cast a light on this essential contrast between apathy and empathy. Our principle intention is to indicate to those who see the film that we have all (human, animal or tree) sprung from the same root: that root being the earth.

Link:-http://unitythemovement.com/about/

Horrific Cruelty Towards Babies: The Unwanted Male Dairy Calves

“This is an update on a post I did several months ago; however this contains more information. So please read the information at the links, sign the petitions & watch a new video recorded February 2013 by Animals Australia!!”

“Don’t you find it appalling that we force animals into pregnancy, then steal their babies & if that wasn’t bad enough, we then steal their babies milk! FFS people…please…I know I’ve written a lot; but only because I feel so strongly on the this subject. These animals have very little rights, or protection from harm…yes there are rules in place…but there all just about broken; as we have seen so many times before on undercover videos. Ok, these are just animals to some, but that doesn’t, nor shouldn’t put them beneath us, nor give us the right to treat them in such appalling ways, should it??

These young, vulnerable animals suffered not only because of illegal cruelty — but, crucially, because they were not wanted by the commercial dairy industry. Hundreds of thousands of Australian bobby calves are slaughtered each year as ‘waste products‘ of the dairy industry. The terrible treatment at this abattoir is not the first, nor will it be the last time that calves will be thrown, dragged and abused.

Their inability as babies to comprehend what is required of them, whether during loading for transport or up the races of slaughterhouses, requires them to be treated with compassion and patience — two human traits rarely witnessed when it comes to dealing with unwanted and ‘worthless’ animals.

Hidden Cameras – The Unwanted Dairy calf Investigation – Does not show slaughter!

(What you probably knew, but didn’t want to see; is a better title)

Published on 1 Feb 2013

Using hidden cameras, this investigation into the fate of unwanted dairy calves (bobby calves) in Australia reveals what the dairy industry doesn’t want you to see. LIKE & SHARE this video to help expose this. For tips on going dairy-free visit http://AnimalsAustralia.org/dairy-inv…

Young calves pushed, shocked with electric prods, hit and dragged up a metal ramp to be slaughtered… Some, too weak to stand, are thrown into the slaughter chute.

This shocking footage, provided to Animals Australia, was taken at an abattoir in Northern Victoria.

Upon receiving the footage, Animals Australia lodged a formal complaint with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for breaches of Victorian animal cruelty laws and the illegal use of an electric prod on a calf. A formal complaint was also lodged with PrimeSafe for breaches of the Australian Standards governing welfare at abattoirs; PrimeSafe ordered the practices cease immediately. Investigations have now concluded — incredibly, no charges have been laid.

Instead, the abattoir owners and several workers were issued with formal warnings by DPI. “Formal warnings for beating, shocking & brutally abusing babies…does that seem right or fair? Those heartless bastards should have been EXPOSED to all & at the very least; then BEEN FINED & DISMISSED!”

This exposure of abattoir cruelty, the latest in a string over the past 15 months, further demonstrates the urgent need for constant monitoring by Government veterinary officers and CCTV in all abattoirs.

“OK…this is my rant! Don’t we kill enough animals? slaughtered in appalling ways, just to satisfy the human hunger for all things meat?? Please…these are babies, yet they are thrown around, stunned, hit, poked, prodded etc. from the day they are born. This is 2013; we don’t need to be eating baby calves to maintain a healthy diet, any more than we need to be stealing their milk…it’s all just a preference!”

 “For the cow’s, nature normally decides the sex of an animal, but there is such a thing as specific “sexed semen” in the farming industry. It’s mainly only used on heifers for their first born, after that, it isn’t so predictable. So “sexed semen” isn’t widely used. A dairy cow is impregnated every year, so she continues to produce a steady supply of milk for humans to drink.This is usually done through artificial insemination which will give a 50/50 chance as to the sex of the calf. Most cows in the regular dairy industry are also given growth hormones, causing their udders to become unnaturally big and heavy, resulting in frequent infections. The Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) also increases birth defects in calves.

Female cows have the same gestation period as women, 9 months! When the calf is born, it is normal dairy practice to remove the calf. Generally, the female calves are reared to join the milking herd but for male calves, it’s a very different story! The average modern dairy cow will produce about 100 pounds of milk per day, which is 10 times more than it would naturally produce. Normally cows can live an average of 25 years. Dairy cows are slaughtered and made into ground beef after about 3-4 years.

For the poor males calves born, a small percentage can either be reared for beef, if suitable, or sold for veal. After being removed from their mothers, veal calves are loaded onto trucks and often sold at auctions. These small and fragile calves are often treated very roughly. If they are unable to walk, they will be dragged by their legs or ears (as seen in the video)

 For the places that still use veal crates, the calves are confined in crates measuring about two feet wide. To make their meat more “tender”, their movements are restrained by chains around their necks. To give a white colour to their meat, the calves are fed an all-liquid milk-substitute, purposely deficient in iron and fibre  After about 16 weeks, these poor calves are slaughtered and their meat is sold labelled as “white” veal. They don’t even get to taste their mothers milk, let alone be with their mothers!”

 “Bob” veal comes from calves who are slaughtered when they are only a few hours or days old! SORRY….that just isn’t right…in fact, it makes us no better than our earlier neanderthal man, who would eat any meat, just to stay alive! WTF are we doing, eating baby calves…isn’t the meat from a cow good enough???

There is no getting away from the fact that humans developed this heinous life for young calves, purely so that their meat would taste nice to a certain clientele ! How f-ing wrong is that??? Doing so makes us no better than the people in Asia that eat puppies, dogs or cats! How many of you have signed numerous petitions to put an end to the cruel torture & eating of puppies, dogs or cats?? Some regions of china, beat the animal before it is slaughtered, because those eating it believe it makes the meat taste better.! Well what the hell are we doing??? putting babies into small crates to restrict their growth; so their meat tastes nicer!!! We are no f-ing better then them, we cause baby calves pain by putting them into crates with chains around their necks, not letting them move, feeding them poor diets etc. TELL ME…WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE???”

“Sadly, I’m more than aware, that where no other viable options exist, some farmers have no choice but to cull their bull calves, i.e. shoot them shortly after birth!! Perhaps this is the better end, than being dragged from their mothers, forced into trailers, degraded at sale rings…starved in veal crates, then violently tossed onto a slaughter belt & probably concious whilst their throats are cut!

“Female cows are in the dairy business for one reason only, for humans to steal their milk! Milk they produce because they are continually kept pregnant, because being pregnant means their body gets ready to produce milk for their babies, just like women; which is why female cow’s have their babies then are made pregnant again!  Artificial insemination especially in intensive dairy farming, cows are genetically engineered and fed growth hormones to force them to produce more milk.”

All female animals produce milk just like humans do, for their babies…unless your born a male calf…males don’t don’t get to have their mothers milk or be nurtured & feel safe; because they were sadly born MALE & not wanted by the commercial dairy industry.“

 “YOU CAN HELP BY SIMPLY NOT EATING VEAL or drinking their milk…Wouldn’t you feel a lot happier knowing you were not contributing to this?? I don’t eat any meat & only have Soya as my dairy substitute; even if I wasn’t vegetarian I still couldn’t stomach the thought of eating any baby animal;especially after seeing how they are treated!

“The link below also offers other ways to help this appalling cruelty”

Link:–http://animalsaustralia.org/investigations/dairy-calf-cruelty-investigation/

“These babies, including, pigs, cows, chickens, lambs, foals & often other animals around the world, are seen in the farming industry as cattle, livestock or property…therefore allowed to be killed & abused dreadfully, as is being seen! Why are we letting this happen??

What You Never Knew About Dairy

Uploaded on 24 Jan 2011

The treatment of bobby calves has been a long-held secret of the dairy industry. For the sake of milk products, the Australian dairy industry discards some 700,000 unwanted week-old calves as ‘waste products’ every year. You can help these vulnerable animals at http://www.animalsaustralia.org

Pledge to go Dairy Free:– http://animalsaustralia.org/take_action/pledge/dairy-free-pledge/

Demand animals not be treated as ‘waste products‘:-http://animalsaustralia.org/take_action/bobby-calf-cruelty/

Go deliciously dairy-free!:-http://animalsaustralia.org/features/dairy-free-shopping-list.php

“Of course there are those that don’t want the public to see how animals are treated or slaughtered on farms etc. So they are trying to introduce Ag-Gag bills…WHY?? If a farm has nothing to hide; why be so paranoid? We need these people to go into places the public are not allowed, so they can document all stages of cattle processing etc. Personally I think all places were animals are reared or slaughtered should have CCTV made available to 3rd parties at any time. For workers who, for want of a better word “enjoy causing & inflicting pain on another living being” farms & slaughter houses are perfect for them to carry on their diabolical & heinous rituals of hurting animals! Without undercover films or CCTV…how the hell are we going to know how the animals are kept & handled??”

Dangerous bills in five states would criminalize whistle-blowing on factory farms, chilling the ability of the American public to confront animal cruelty, unsafe working conditions, and environmental problems. See if your state has such a bill pending. Then learn more about these troublesome pieces of legislation in the link below.

In 2013, these states have introduced anti-whistle-blower bills:

• New Hampshire (HB 110)—pending: Live in N.H.? Take action now!
• Wyoming (HB 0126)—passed House; pending in Senate
• Indiana (SB 373/SB 391)—pending
• Nebraska (LB 204)—pending
• Arkansas (SB 13/SB 14)—bill pulled by sponsor

Link:–http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/campaigns/factory_farming/fact-sheets/ag_gag.html

If You Have To Eat Veal – Please Buy British veal

By rearing these calves for British veal, we believe they are given a life worth living. The calves are reared in groups and must be provided with bedding which gives them a comfortable floor surface. Young calves are supplied double the amount of fibrous food compared with EU requirements, and older calves have greater space allowance than stipulated in EU law.

And, last but not least, these calves have not endured long distance transport to reach the rearing units.

And finally, if it doesn’t specify on the menu that the veal is British, assume that it isn’t  Retailers, restaurants, butchers and deli’s should be proud to offer this higher welfare alternative.

Read how you can help & watch the video by Compassion In World Farming:- http://www.ciwf.org.uk/what_we_do/calves/uncovered_veal_confusion.aspx

HOW CAN I HELP?

You can help to improve the welfare of calves in a number of ways: please visit:- http://www.ciwf.org.uk/what_we_do/calves/take_action/default.aspx

“Go milk free, many people now use almond, soy, rice, coconut or hemp milk. I use Soya milk & to me it taste like creamy milk; delicious!”

Maternal Deprivation – A HSUS guide to the welfare of veal animals

The routine early separation of cows and their calves in the dairy and veal industries is distressing for both. 

Hudson and Mullord found “that 5-min contact with a calf immediately post partum is sufficient for the formation of a strong, specific maternal bond with that calf.”

 Calves separated from their dams at birth, as observed by Lidfors, were less active and vocalized and licked themselves more than calves remaining with their mothers. Marchant-Forde et al. reported that calves separated from their dams 24 hours after birth recognized and responded to recordings of their dams’ calls 24 hours after separation, with the cows’ vocalizations eliciting cardiac and behavioural responses in their calves. 

In its 1995 Report on the Welfare of Calves, the SVC concluded: “The best conditions for rearing young calves involve leaving the calf with the mother in a circumstance where the calf can suckle and can subsequently graze and interact with other calves.” Newborn calves have no antibodies against infections and are entirely dependent on immunoglobulin in mother’s milk for immunological protection.

Colostrum, the milk dams produce during the first few days after calving, is especially high in immunoglobulin. Adequate intake of colostrum is critical for the future health of the calf, as those with low concentrations of absorbed immunoglobulin are more susceptible to diarrhoea.

The routine practice of removing newborn calves from their dams within a few hours of birth may jeopardize this important transfer of immunoglobulin.  Although colostrum is collected from recently calved cows, in top dairy-producing states such as California, it is often sold to facilities specializing in raising female calves for the dairy industry,as their long-term health is considered to be of greater value than that of male calves reared for veal.

Surveys of U.S. veal farms confirm that many calves do not receive adequate colostrum.

Link:-http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/farm/hsus-the-welfare-of-animals-in-the-veal-industry.pdf

What about veal crates?

“Confining calves to crates prevents them from performing all of their natural social and psychological behaviours, purposely prevents healthy growth and development. At the end of their short lives, many calves are not able to walk properly to slaughter, due to the under-development of their leg muscles.

“Humans do this on purpose so that their meat tastes better…FFS….this makes us no better than the people in parts of China, that beat dogs to death; under the impression it makes their meat taste better!! Well, we might not intentionally beat the animal to “make it taste better” but we keep it confined in crate so it doesn’t grown normally!! Not that much difference is there??”

“Crated calves are fed a poor substitute as opposed to their mothers milk; which actually causes them to become anaemic, which creates the very pale meat; the seller wants & the buyers need…it disgusting!”

While some animal advocates work to ban the use of veal crates, the slaughter of any animal for food is antithetical to animal rights, regardless of how much room the animals have when they are alive.

Read more at the link below:-

Link:–http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalsusedforfood/g/What-Is-A-Veal-Crate.htm

Veal crates have been banned in the UK since 1990, however veal is still produced in the UK under certain requirements, for example, calves must be able to turn around, they must be fed a diet containing some iron and they may not be kept in individual stalls or pens after the age of eight weeks. As of 2006, similar requirements will be law in the European Union; at present they are only applicable for holdings that have been newly built or rebuilt as of January of 1998.

Here’s a quick look at some of the HSUS’s work to free calves from crates.

State Laws

The HSUS has helped pass laws to ban veal crates in several states, including Arizona,California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and Ohio.

Investigations

Our undercover investigation of a “bob veal” slaughter plant shined a bright light onto the abuses that male dairy calves can endure.

Corporations

After working with The HSUS, retailers such as Wolfgang Puck no longer serve veal from calves confined in crates. Strauss Veal, the largest U.S. veal producer, and Marcho Farms, have both converted their veal operations to crate-free housing.

Individuals

The HSUS offers materials that make it easier for consumers to avoid supporting veal crates—and that’s one of the ways you can help! Some include our guide to meat and dairy labels, our list of dairy-free and delicious products, and dozens of delicious, humane recipes.

Link:–http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/veal.html

A brief guide to labels and animal welfare

The Humane Society of the United States

An abundance of labels on meat and dairy products make such claims as “grass fed,” “cage free” and “natural.” What exactly do these labels mean, especially in terms of animal welfare?

Some of the claims represent better conditions for animals than those suffered by the billions who are raised on standard factory farms, while others don’t relate to the animals’ welfare at all. So, how meaningful are these labels?

The following are the most common labels, decoded:-take a look so you know what your buying:- http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/meat_dairy_labels.html

More information & petitions to sign:-

• http://forcechange.com/10605/stop-the-torture-of-veal-calves/
  
• http://forcechange.com/28381/ban-confinement-of-cows-and-pigs-in-massachusetts/

“Why can’t they all be like the farmer below,who genuinely loves & cares for his cows even after their milking days are over!!”

“Eastleigh Farm says goodbye to Framingham herd matriarch”

FRAMINGHAM —

As dairy owner Doug Stephan’s first milk cow, Peaches was Eastleigh Farm’s grande dame. With a beautifully coiffed top-knot crown and way of communicating with farmhands, the brown Jersey girl commanded respect.

“She’s always been extraordinarily regal,” farm worker Georgette Jowdy said.

As the 22-year-old bovine laid her tired legs on a bed of hay Friday morning, her large brown eyes showed that she seemed to know her reign as matriarch was over.

Stephan planned to put Peaches down Friday afternoon, 10 years after retiring her to his home pasture on Grove Street, around the corner from Eastleigh on Edmands Road.

Stephan choked back tears as he sat beside his beloved cow in the barn beside his house, talking about her seemingly psychic abilities, the seven calves she delivered and how she got her name from the vocalist duo Peaches & Herb.

He planned to bury Peaches near his late father’s ashes in the yard, and near a plaque for farm manager Edgar Pless, who died last summer.

“It’s a tough day,” said Jowdy, Pless’ wife, who raises the farm’s calves and had a close bond with Peaches after working there for 14 years. “It’s especially tough for Doug.”

As Peaches put her head on his lap, Stephan recalled bringing the cow and her cousin, Cream, to live at Eastleigh when they were four- or five-day-old heifers.

Cream later died, and the “extraordinarily sharp” Peaches went on to rule the herd. “She was always the boss cow,” Stephan said. “She would show up, get unloaded off the trailer and everyone would clear the way. She was in charge,” Jowdy said.

“She has an aura about her,” Stephan said. “I mean there’s a little crown.” Eastleigh retires its cows instead of slaughtering them after their milking years. It lets them graze in the home pasture, or gives them away to be “lawnmowers,” Jowdy said.

“They give their whole life to give us food,” she said. Strong-willed Peaches lived a long life for a cow and couldn’t stand up at the end, Jowdy said. “They get arthritis, like we do,” she said. “They get bone loss, they get muscle loss.” Peaches, she said, “gave milk for a long, long time and babies – a lot of babies.”

A lineage chart in the barn shows that Peaches delivered Patches, Elsie, Beth, Herbie, Plum, Samantha and Beulah. Apricot, Emma and Elke joined the family tree as future generations. They are among the hundreds of cows that Stephan raises.

Resting in her stall before the veterinarian arrived, Peaches enjoyed lots of snacks in addition to her grain: whole wheat bread, croissant and, a special treat, doughnuts.

“We’re indulging her a lot,” Jowdy said. Jowdy said she was comforted by the fact that Peaches would be joining her late husband. “I like to believe because it’s comforting that he’s there waiting for her,” she said.

“Why can’t all farmers have the compassion & love for their animals as the above man does?  I really take my hat off to this farmer for his loyalty & love of his animals. He appreciates that they give their milk & their babies; in return they get to be cow’s, retired & munching on grass!”

News Link: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1522319540/Eastleigh-Farm-says-goodbye-to-Framingham-herd-matriarch#ixzz2KnHdqXsL

Video of Jowdy saying goodbye to peaches.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/multimedia/video/x898127804/VIDEO-Saying-goodbye-to-Peaches

Hidden Camera: Graphic Video: Shocking Truth Behind Butterball Thanksgiving Turkey

“I know I’m late with this as Thanks Giving has past, sorry, but I’m still playing catch up, so think of this as your Christmas turkey instead! It’s kind of irrelevant which meal it’s for, as they are still horrifically abused by sadistic workers; who have no interest in the animals feelings or well-being. For our Christmas dinner we still have everything, only it’s Quorn & not meat, i.e sausages  meatballs, bacon strips, Quorn chicken fillets. If anyone eats at my house they eat Quorn & they are quite surprised by it, it’s the flavouring & spices you use that bring Quorn to life. Put it another way, what ever meat you eat, I can find a Quorn alternative; going vegetarian isn’t hard at all these days, there is so much to choose from. Several years ago; I looked like a chick pea!!

With Thanksgiving looming around the corner, an animal rights group has levied charges of animal abuse against Butterball, LLC, the country’s largest producer of fresh and frozen turkeys.

Graphic – Viewer Discretion Advised

Published on 13 Nov 2012 by mercyforanimals

The allegations, from the Los Angeles-based animal advocacy organization Mercy for Animals, stem from undercover video shot at four Butterball turkey farms in North Carolina. The graphic video, which the group has posted at ButterballAbuse.com, shows the birds being grabbed by the necks, kicked, thrown and general mishandled. According to website, the organization also found “birds suffering from serious untreated illnesses and injuries, including open sores, infections, and broken bones.”

“Consumers have a right to know how turkeys are treated at Butterball, before they end up as their Thanksgiving dinner,” Matt Rice, director of the investigation for Mercy for Animals, said in a statement to the media. “And I think that most people care about animals, even animals that are raised and killed for food.”

Mercy for Animals documented similar abuse at a Butterball turkey semen collection facility in North Carolina in 2011. That investigation resulted in felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges against five Butterball employees, two of whom have since pled guilty. A representative of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture also pled guilty to charges of obstruction of justice after leaking information about the investigation to Butterball.

The organization says it has taken its footage to law-enforcement officials, who are investigating.

Butterball released a statement to the media, saying it has a zero-tolerance policy for animal abuse will take any allegations seriously. Butterball also said it has already suspended the employees shown in the Mercy for Animals video while it investigates if the employees should be fired. “Any employee found to have violated our animal care and well-being guidelines, as well as any employee who witnessed abuse and failed to report it, will be terminated,” the statement read. “When we learn of any instances of animal mistreatment, we take immediate corrective action to suspend workers involved, conduct a swift investigation and terminate their employment with the company. Animal care and well-being is central to the operations of our company, and we remain committed to the ethical and responsible care of our turkey flocks.”

NBC News talked to industry analyst Phil Lempert, who is also known as the “Supermarket Guru,” who said consumers may decide to choose a different brand of turkey if they are aware of the allegations against Butterball. “We have seen a consumer and industry move to more humane treatment of chickens, hogs and cattle and now turkeys,” he said. “This Thanksgiving shoppers will be looking at prices and the credibility of the brand that sells them.”

In a blog post, Mercy for Animals offered a series of tips and actions for cruelty-free Thanksgiving celebrations, many of which focus on having a vegetarian holiday meal.

Also on MNN:

Thanksgiving turkey disaster? Hit the Butterball phone lines – 10 turkey fact you might not have known. – Better turkey choices

via Undercover video depicts abuse at Butterball turkey farms | MNN – Mother Nature Network.

News Link:-http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/undercover-video-depicts-abuse-at-butterball-turkey-farms

Learn more at:

http://www.ButterballAbuse.com

http://www.MercyForAnimals.org

“Concentration camps”: Secret film exposes sickening cruelty of UK chicken factory farms

“Yet another scene of typical animal neglect & cruelty that goes on in farms around the world…this is the UK, England; where our standards are supposed to be so good…well obviously they are not…these people care only for the profits, not animal welfare!!  These sentient beings, should not have to live in deplorable conditions; before they even get to slaughter. But why does it always seem like it is just vegetarians & vegans (or tree huggers as illiterate numb nuts, prefer to call us) that stand up & fight for animals??”

“I wish more meat eaters would stand up & fight for the animals, that will ultimately end up on their plates! You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to fight for the conditions these animals are forced to live in. If I still ate meat, I would be horrified seeing the conditions these chickens live in. Think of the infection & bacterial disease that must be rife in these disgraceful conditions. It is up to us all, to stand up & demand better conditions, for animals that are going to be slaughtered for human consumption.”

Crammed into a huge windowless sheds, covered in scabs and with no feathers, the birds are too week to stand

Sick and deformed chickens with raw ­patches of skin flap around the corpse of a bird too weak to ­survive.

In seconds they are pecking away at its flesh as hundreds around them, unable to stand and with most of their feathers gone, drag themselves along by their wings.

All are crammed into a huge windowless shed. And soon they will all be dead… skinned and ready for dinner tables across Britain.

Deformed: Chickens gather around one of the corpses

These distressing scenes of chicken factory farming at its worst were secretly filmed by an undercover investigator after a tip-off from an outraged member of the public.

The footage was shot over four days at a farm where birds are bred from chicks to broilers in “rearing sheds” that boost their growth to twice the normal rate.

Many of the birds had lost half their feathers and clearly had painful leg deformities. The filthy shed floor was littered with corpses, some in an advanced state of decomposition.

In one shot the birds are shown being roughly shoved into stacked drawers, the doors slammed against their ­desperately flapping wings.

Even the RSPCA, used to scenes of sickening cruelty, were shocked by the birds’ treatment at Green Acres Farm, in Southrepps, ­Norfolk. They are launching an immediate investigation.

The film was shot by a worker from the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Frettenham, where TV actor Martin Shaw is patron. The destination of the birds after slaughter is not known.

Sanctuary boss Wendy ­Valentine said: “Broiler chickens lead a life of misery.

“Their excessive and unnatural growth rate has come about as a result of genetic engineering and makes them pile on weight three times as fast as they should.

“Their bones simply cannot handle this and as a result they suffer awful, painful leg ­deformities that leave many of them unable to walk at all.

“If dogs, cats or horses were kept in these conditions people would be prosecuted.”

Wendy said the UK had some of the best animal welfare laws in the world, but they were “rarely enforced”.

She added: “Hillside has brought similar cruelty cases to the attention of the authorities, who have taken no action to improve life for farmed animals and birds.

“Farmers keep these animals in huge windowless sheds, locked away from public view and generally the only people to see the miserable lives they lead are government officials.

“Staggeringly it appears, from their point of view, that keeping ­animals in these ­appalling conditions is legal.”

Inspector George Gently star Martin told us: “I’ve seen the footage and can hardly find words to describe my outrage and sadness for the cynical cruelty and lack of humanity displayed by those responsible.

“I hope and trust those shopping outlets that make use of these animal concentration camps will rethink their buying policy. If not, public outrage will make the decision for them.”

An RSPCA spokesman said: “We were disturbed to see this unnecessary rough treatment of birds being put into transport containers, the birds that ­appeared to be sick and those decomposing among live ones.

“There is no excuse for this kind of practice and we will be carrying out an investigation.

“Farms that just use minimum legal standards, in some cases referred to as ‘factory farms’, don’t do enough to address the welfare needs of the animals.

“They don’t give them enough space, bedding, perches to roost on or appropriate lighting”.

When the Sunday Mirror called the farm for a comment, a man answering the phone said “We rent the barns out” before hanging up.

Viewer Discretion Advised 

 

Uploaded by HillsideAdoptAnimals on 23 Sep 2012

To find more about Hillside Animal Sanctuary, please seehttp://www.hillside.org.uk/
Hillside’s latest Farm Animal Investigation looks at the cruelty and neglect that takes place every day behind the closed doors of the farming industry…