Calfskin Coats and Handbags...How They're Made

Ever even THINK about that soft, calfskin coat you wear? Or that handbag you cherish? Have you thought about the animal it came from? Did you know they slaughter the mother while STILL PREGNANT?! They cut the calf out of her stomach while STILL ALIVE. Then kill the calf as it's trying to catch it's first breath! If you can't watch this video, but you can wear the material without ever feeling guilt or remorse, then you are as heartless as the men in this video!

A Common Practice at Chicken Hatcheries-Inexcusable!

The Chicago-based group Mercy for Animals has just released a shocking new undercover investigation, which documents male chicks being ground up alive in an egg industry hatchery. You see, because male chicks don't lay eggs—which means lost profits for the corporations—the industry doesn't consider them worth keeping alive.

Of course, I could describe this inexcusable cruelty until I'm blue in the face, but the video says it all:

How your fur - trimmed garment is made....and YES it's from CHINA!

China supplies more than half of the finished fur garments imported for sale in U.S.

When undercover investigators made their way onto Chinese fur farms, they found that many animals are still alive and struggling desperately when workers flip them onto their backs or hang them up by their legs or tails to skin them. When workers on these farms begin to cut the skin and fur from an animal's leg, the free limbs kick and writhe. Workers stomp on the necks and heads of animals who struggle too hard to allow a clean cut.


Pledge to go fur-free at PETA.org.

When the fur is finally peeled off over the animals' heads, their naked, bloody bodies are thrown onto a pile of those who have gone before them. Some are still alive, breathing in ragged gasps and blinking slowly. Some of the animals' hearts are still beating five to 10 minutes after they are skinned. One investigator recorded a skinned raccoon dog on the heap of carcasses who had enough strength to lift his bloodied head and stare into the camera.

Before they are skinned alive, animals are pulled from their cages and thrown to the ground; workers bludgeon them with metal rods or slam them on hard surfaces, causing broken bones and convulsions but not always immediate death. Animals watch helplessly as workers make their way down the row.

Just When You Think China Couldn't Do Anything Worse!

Battery farm for tigers: The 1,400 big cats whose body parts are prized on the black market

In the wild, they prowl across hundreds of miles of jungle.

In contrast, these tigers share the wretched experience of battery hens.

Here in South-East China, hundreds of the endangered animals are cramped in tiny pens - and are slowly starved to death, say critics.

The reason, it is said, is that they are worth more dead than alive.

The Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Park is home to 1,400 tigers - more than live wild in India.

Scroll down for more...

Dreaming of escape: One tiger paws at the netting as others look on from their sparse enclosure

Sticking together: A group huddle at the Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Park

Each year their numbers are replenished by the birth of hundreds of cubs.

Chau Wei Sum, who owns the park, says it keeps the animals from extinction and provides a tourist attraction.

But others believe his venture is effectively a farm - which, when the animals die, might provide body parts to the market for traditional Chinese medicines.

The trade in tiger-based medicines was banned in 1993 when China came under pressure from other nations concerned that the cats were being hunted to extinction.

However, the black market is profitable. A dead tiger can fetch up to £500,000.

Tiger bones are ground to a powder to improve strength. They are said to be worth £160,000 - more than ten times the price of the pelt.

Penises are sold as aphrodisiacs and whiskers are said to cure laziness.

The carcasses are also made into wine and brains mixed with oil to form an acne cure.

Scroll down for more...

Penned in: Tigers are housed in rows of small cages at the park

Both the Save The Tiger Fund and the Wildlife Protection Society of India have accused the park of producing tiger bone wine.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species has called for it be closed.

In a cold store at the park lie the skins of hundreds of tigers.

They have been skinned and gutted, perhaps in readiness for the law to be repealed.

Mr Chau is alleged to have sold some, supposedly to raise money to feed his tigers.

Ticket sales do not cover his running costs, he says. But prosecution is not something he fears, as the government supports his venture.

There are thought to be 50 wild tigers left in China.

India has the greatest wild population, but it has halved in six years.

Source: Mail Online

Free At Last, Free At Last...Thank God We're Free At Last

Many thanks to the HSUS for their hard work and efforts to free Puppy Mill Dogs. Don't be fooled when a retail puppy seller tells you their pups come from "reputable or licensed breeders". If the pup is bought from a retail store, then this video will tell you just what these "reputable and licensed breeders" places look like.

Those Cute Baby Seals - Namibians Don't See Them That Way!

Warning video footage is VERY GRAPHIC!! It was in 2007 that this video was made, but it's the same year after year and this year, they banned news coverage and cameras. You might figure that ASIA has something to do with this as well.




The second-largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world is just off the southern coast of Africa in Namibia.



During what's been described as "the cruelest seal 'hunt' on the planet," The Cape fur seals are rounded up on Namibian beaches and slaughtered over a period of 20 weeks, The pups are still nursing when they are clubbed or stabbed to death.



The annual commercial seal harvesting season in Namibia officially began on July 1 with a quota of 85 000 pups due to be clubbed to death and 6,000 bulls to be shot on the country's coast.



Cape Fur seals are killed mostly for their fur. Adult males are also killed for their penises, which are exported to Asia to be used as aphrodisiacs.



Please click the links below to help.

http://www.harpseal s.org/help/ letters_and_ emails/namibia_ email.php

http://www.unleashe d.org.au/ take_action/ namibian- seal-slaughter/

Ringling Brothers Circus- The Cruelest Show on Earth

Again, I'm showing another video about the treatment of circus elephants. You don't have to like PETA to realize this is inhumane. Hell...I don't care much for a lot of their tactics, by some of their radical members, but as a whole, they do a lot to expose animal cruelty and help to stop the exploitation. The next time your kids want to go to the circus, remember this video!




From NYDAILYNEWS.COM

The feds have launched a probe of Ringling Bros. after undercover video showed trainers hitting circus elephants with whips and bull hooks.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday it will review footage to determine if "The Greatest Show on Earth" has violated the Animal Welfare Act.

"We take the protection of animals very seriously," said Dave Sacks, spokesman for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, an agency within the USDA.

"We will initiate a thorough investigation and provide the findings as soon as available."

The video was made by a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals activist who posed as a Ringling stagehand for six months this year.

It appears to show trainers leading the animals toward the stage while striking them repeatedly across the head, legs and body.

PETA - which has accused Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus of mistreating the elephants for years - has filed formal complaints with the USDA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and agencies in seven states.

It also called for Madison Square Garden, which hosts the circus in New York, to cut all ties.

A Garden spokeswoman said executives will "discuss this kind of matter with [Ringling Bros.] directly and not through the media." At Ringling's summer circus in Coney Island, news of the video didn't worry ticket holders.

"They shouldn't be abusing the animals to give pleasure to children - but I saw the elephants. They looked calm," said Laurie Bisco, 55, of New Jersey.

cboyle@nydailynews.com

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/07/23/2009-07-23_feds_promise_probe_into_circus_video.html#ixzz0MEqimHTr

Something to Think About Before You Take Your Dog to the Shelter

The following Blog article was written by my friends at SAVING FURRY FRIENDS
I'd like to thank them for their permission to copy the article here. This is truly an "IN YOUR FACE" and "HITS HOME" article I've read in a long time. I hope you'll take time to visit SAVING FURRY FRIENDS and their BLOG.

So just what did you think would happen to "Spot" if you dropped him off at the local shelter?

First let me start by saying this bulletin contains graphic images. The reason I chose to post these photos are multi-faceted. First I want to clear up any illusions that owners in southwest Va. have, that their precious dog “Spot” will surely find a home the reality is that Spot has less than a 10% chance of getting out of the shelter alive. Despite saving 204 dogs in 2008 our county shelter still had a 90% + euthanasia rate. To say say 20 dogs euthanized does not have the same effect as actually seeing it, being there. My only regret is that many of the folks I reach with this post already know what I am saying. I am preaching to the choir but for those that don't know, are not aware, here's your wake up call.

I chose today to post this after walking into a shelter to find one of the ACO’s in tears. In tears because two dogs that were just owner surrendered never even made it to the kennel area they were immediately taken to the euth room and euthanized as there literally was not a single solitary empty kennel to put them in. I post this for her, for all the people who say they couldn't do her job, for all the people who hate animal control this is a reminder that you are the reason they are needed. For those of you who say animals wouldn't die if it where not for animal control, I ask would it be better for them to die of starvation? be hit by a car only to languish in a ditch for days until death is a welcome relief? There is one person and ONE person only to blame and that is the OWNER.

I also post this for myself. For all the folks who think we try to raise funds too often, for all the folks that expect us to be cheerful as they surrender their pets, for all the folks who roll their eyes when us rescues give lectures on spay and neutering, on behavioral modification to correct behaviors that drove the owner to bring the animal to the shelter in the first place. For my extended family and friends who don't understand why we are constantly stressed but also driven.

I post this for every owner that gets a dog without ever having researched the breed. They have no idea as to the dogs size, energy level or grooming needs. A little research and you would have known that a border collie would not be a good fit in your one bedroom apartment.

I post this for every rescue out there begging for help that falls, many times, on deaf ears.

Many, if not most times, they are the only thing standing between the animals and death.

Most of the time when a plea is sent out about an animal in need many folks are generous with their funds, time and home a great number are saved but a great number are also lost and that is a side many don't see. More than anything this post is for them, in memory of them.

Is This Really Worth It, Just For Your Entertainment?

This is the truth about Ringling Brothers Circus elephants so many families go to see just for the sheer joy and entertainment. Is this REALLY worth it just so you and your kids can get a "thrill"?


Learn more at peta2.com

So you say you LOVE animals? Did you know they are tortured and die for YOU?

If you use household products and toiletries, as most of us do, then you need to know how these products are tested! And we aren't just talking about mice here!

Do you smoke? Do you take medications? Do you use cosmetics? Are you aware that ALL of these tests performed on animals are insignificant to humans, therefore completely unnecessary. There ARE alternative methods for testing products that DO NOT use animals and it’s been proven to be a more accurate method of testing! Let’s put an end to this animal holocaust!



A WORD OF WARNING! Your own pet could end up in one of these testing labs if it ever ends up in a shelter, given away for free, or stolen. Not all dogs stolen are sold for dog fighting "bait"! Testing Labs will pay for dogs...no questions asked, and there are people who know this and WILL steal dogs from yards just for the money!

There are people who watch for ads (especially on Craigslist) listing FREE or cheap dogs and appear to be the "perfect loving family" for your pet. They are very convincing and good at what they do! Always do a home check and ask a LOT of questions to be sure you have found a good home. Get a Vet reference if they claim they just lost their beloved pet. Be vigilant and be aware! If something doesn't "feel" right, don't sell to that person! Go with your gut instincts. Don't put yourself in an "urgent need" situation to get rid of your pet. If you must...There are rescue groups as an alternative.

Most often, if you ask for any amount over $100 (within reason), people who really want your pet as a family member won't object. People who will re-sell your pet to labs don't want to pay that much because they can't make a profit.

People who buy dogs for "bait" MAY pay as much as $300 because they know they'll make that money back if they know they have a winning fighter.

Many shelters sell animals to labs just like this one, but they'll never tell you that!