"The Saddest Show on Earth"

"Never-before-seen photos reveal how Ringling Bros. circus trainers cruelly force baby elephants to learn tricks, and it's not through a reward system, as they claim. Explore the photos that will make parents think twice about taking their child to the circus.

You may have wondered how Ringling Bros. gets 8,000-pound elephants to perform tricks like sitting up and even standing on their heads, but now you know. Ringling breaks the spirit of elephants when they're vulnerable babies who should still be with their mothers. Unsuspecting parents planning a family trip to the circus don't know about the violent training sessions with ropes, bullhooks, and electric shock prods that elephants endure, so we need you to tell them."

Source: 

http://www.ringlingbeatsanimals.com/bound-babies.asp?c=prbabbf09

Vick Nominated for Ed Block Courage Award

Vick won the Ed Block Courage Award - an award named after a man who advocated in behalf of abused children. 

"I've overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear," Vick said. "You ask certain people to walk through my shoes, they probably couldn't do. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I put myself in and decisions I have made, whether they have been good or bad.

"There's always consequences behind certain things and repercussions behind them, too. And then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective, it's a totally different outlook on you. You have to be strong, believe in yourself, be optimistic. That's what I've been able to do. That's what I display."

As Leslie Smith says in the Article Vick wins award for courage;

Michael Vick, let's talk about just what constitutes more than "one single individual can handle or bear." Is having your skull slammed against cement over and over again too much to bear? Is being hanged or drowned or electrocuted too much to bear? Because you're right - those individuals were not, ultimately, able to bear it.

Did you find it ironic, Michael Vick, that you chose to remove yourself from play last weekend when you injured your thigh? Did it occur to you that a bruised thigh was too much for you to bear, but fractured jaws, broken legs, and gaping skin wounds were not deemed too much to bear for those you were entrusted to care for and protect?

Yet while the football player was stealing headlines, thanks to his injuries and awards, one of Vick's former victims was making news much more quietly. Hector - who was fought repeatedly as part of Vick's dog fighting ring and still has scars to prove it - visited a Minneapolis kindergarten class yesterday. The goal? To break stereotypes around the vicious nature of Pit Bulls.

Sources: 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4767825

http://dogtime.com/michael-vick-courage-award.html

http://blog.peta.org/archives/2009/12/eagles_give_mic.php

New Book - That beleives you should ditch your pets for the environment

Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living is a new book in the process of pulbication that claims "the carbon pawprint of a pet dog is more than double that of a gas-guzzling sports utility vehicle," This book urges people to ditch their pets for the environment. - Because people are not already ditching their pets enough.

Source: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/blogs/healthy-food/pets-environmental-impact-47122303#ixzz0aZoyNdSR

"This photo was taken in the back room of a Petland store in Akron, Ohio, and posted on Facebook by Elizabeth Carlisle, who can be seen grinning as she holds two dead, soaking-wet rabbits by the scruff of the neck—rabbits she just drowned while on Petland's time clock. On Carlisle's Facebook page, she confirmed a friend's guess that she had drowned these two rabbits and wrote, "[T]he manager took the pic for me. [S]he reminded me that there were people outside as [I] was swearing at them to just hurry up and die but then she was so kind as to take this picture."

These horrific deaths followed what was apparently an equally horrifying life for these rabbits. Other comments Carlisle posted made it clear that the rabbits were drowned after sustaining agonizing injuries when they were allowed to "attack and eat each other." The rabbits suffered from "deep wounds all over," "an eye missing," what Petland staff "suspected was a broken jaw," and paralysis from the waist down—injuries that would not have occurred had these animals been provided with proper care and supervision."

See entire article HERE

Nov 6th 2009, The House of Commons passed the motion for a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, and to everyones suprise.. it passed with unanimously with all-party support!

At 2:03pm that day the house was adjourned untill Monday November 16, 2009 at 11 a.m.

Here are some notes from the transcript:

"That said, I believe that the House of Commons' adoption of the spirit, values and beliefs outlined in Motion No. 354 supercedes debating forums in which it is delivered. I therefore agreed to the hon. member's amendment. I also believe this amendment and subsequent debate demonstrates a healthy cooperation among all parties in the House. Such cooperation is increasingly less frequent these days. However, I am very pleased that the motion may serve as a small example of what a spirit of cooperation can achieve in our collective support for a universal declaration on animal welfare.

Animal welfare is a sensitive issue. Not all of us in the House may agree on the best way to go about enacting laws to properly protect animals, but we all believe they should be protected. There are competing points of view, those of pet owners, farmers, developing nations and the rights of our native peoples. At the heart of it, the universal declaration on animal welfare is a start as it demonstrates our belief that animal welfare is essential.

As I mentioned in my previous speech, the declaration is an agreement among people and nations to recognize that animals are sentient, suffer, have welfare needs, and to ultimately end animal cruelty worldwide. The declaration will be structured as a set of general principles that acknowledge and emphasize the importance of animal welfare. The purpose of these principles is to encourage all nations to put in place or enhance existing animal welfare laws in standards.

The declaration is supported by a growing list of governments from countries around the world including all 27 members of the European Union. There is also a great deal of support from the public. Thousands of Canadians have signed petitions in support of a UDAW. Many of these petitions have been introduced in the House of Commons. The declaration is actively supported by Canada's foremost animal protection organizations including the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

The implementation of the declaration is an important step and will act as a catalyst for change in the following ways: by raising the status of animal welfare as an international issue; by encouraging those in industries which utilize animals to keep their welfare at the forefront of their policies and practices; and by inspiring positive change in public attitudes and actions toward animals.

I am heartened by the tone of the debate that has transpired. The declaration will be a key toward improved animal welfare legislation worldwide and a step closer to ending cruelty to animals globally. This first step is only one of many in a long road, but it is a critical one, one we must take for this extremely important cause."

Every year in Demark, specifically the Faroe Islands there is a mass slaughtering of Calderon Dolphins as right of passage to manhood tradition. The slaughtering is done by stabbing / cutting, which leads to their ultimate death from shear pain and loss of blood. Their death is not pretty, quick, and by far not painless. While they surcome to their slow death, they scream and cry, their whales of pain are much similar to that of a newborn baby. Despite the obvious inhuman reality of this, lets not forget to mention these specific dolphins are facing extinction. Dolphins are smart, intelligent, and sensitive creatures who not only trust humans but enjoying interacting and playing with us, not to mention many old sailor tales are of Dolphins even saving them. As a part of manhood tradition, this means that it is teenagers who are doing the heartless slaughtering. Lets STOP the needless suffering, while SAVING a species near extinction.

CLICK HERE to sign the petition.