If you’ve decided to welcome a dog into your family, you may be considering buying a puppy from a breeder. While many potential canine guardians have heard about the horrors of puppy mills and “backyard breeders,” they mistakenly think that buying a puppy from a so-called responsible breeder is acceptable. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Why Breeding Dogs Is Killing Dogs Approximately 6 to 8 million animals are handled by animal shelters in the United States each year. Some are reclaimed or adopted, but nearly 4 million unwanted dogs and cats are left with nowhere to go.(1) Animal shelters cannot humanely house and support all these animals until they die of natural causes—the animals would be forced to live for years, lonely and stressed, in cramped cages or kennels. And other animals would have to be turned away because there would be no room for them.
The births and deaths of millions of homeless animals could be reduced and prevented through spaying and neutering. Yet countless numbers of puppies are born every day, thanks to breeders who often breed closely related dogs in order to retain certain breed characteristics. Not only does this contribute to the overpopulation crisis, it has also led to genetic diseases in virtually every breed. Because the gene pool is so limited, there are now more hereditary canine diseases (about 370) than there are dog breeds
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Chilling undercover footage recorded during a new Mercy For Animals investigation exposes dairy farm workers sadistically abusing cows and young calves.
Captured on hidden camera, the shocking scenes of abuse reveal a culture of cruelty at Conklin Dairy Farms in Plain City, Ohio.
During a four-week investigation between April and May, MFA's investigator documented farm workers:
Violently punching young calves in the face, body slamming them to the ground, and pulling and throwing them by their ears
Routinely using pitchforks to stab cows in the face, legs and stomach
Kicking "downed" cows (those too injured to stand) in the face and neck – abuse carried out and encouraged by the farm's owner
Maliciously beating restrained cows in the face with crowbars – some attacks involving over 40 blows to the head
Twisting cows' tails until the bones snapped
Punching cows' udders
Bragging about stabbing, dragging, shooting, breaking bones, and beating cows and calves to death
After viewing the footage, Dr. Bernard Rollin, distinguished professor of animal science at Colorado State University, stated: "This is probably the most gratuitous, sustained, sadistic animal abuse I have ever seen. The video depicts calculated, deliberate cruelty, based not on momentary rage but on taking pleasure through causing pain to cows and calves who are defenseless."
Immediately upon completion of the investigation, Mercy For Animals contacted the City Prosecutor's Office of Marysville regarding the ongoing pattern of abuse at Conklin Dairy Farms. MFA is pushing for employees of the facility to be criminally prosecuted for violating Ohio's animal cruelty laws.
The deplorable conditions uncovered at Conklin Dairy Farms highlight the reality that animal agriculture is incapable of self-regulation and that meaningful federal and state laws must be implemented and strengthened to prevent egregious cruelty to farmed animals.
Although many of the abuses documented at Conklin Dairy Farms are sadistic in nature, numerous MFA undercover investigations at dairy farms, pig farms, egg farms, hatcheries and slaughterhouses have revealed that violence and abuse to farmed animals – whether malicious or institutionalized – runs rampant nationwide.
Compassionate consumers can end their direct financial support of farmed animal abuse by rejecting dairy, and other animal products, and adopting a vegan diet.
Although we don’t have to worry about a massive oil leak erupting in our immediate backyards, local waters do not go unharmed by the consequences of petroleum production. Save Our Shores—formed in 1978 to voice community opposition to offshore drilling—continues to fight against one of the unfortunate impacts of global oil dependence: plastic pollution.
Save Our Shores reports that 151,699 plastic pieces and 18,296 plastic bags have been collected from the local shores since 2007. Fortunately, says SOS executive director Laura Kasa, Santa Cruz is at the forefront of coastal communities enacting change. A ban (...)
Picassos for Pets Starving local artists to help starving animals!
On Sunday June 6th, from 2 to 5pm, HELP Humane Society is hosting their inaugural Picassos for Pets; an art auction and margarita fundraiser at the Ritz Charles in Overland Park. The afternoon promises to provide entertainment for art and animal lovers of all ages. There will be a silent auction featuring works in all media, from paintings to fiber, as well as information booths related to animal products and services. The works of art have been donated solely by local artists and volunteers of the no-kill shelter. Proceeds will go towards building a new, larger building to allow for the rescue of more cats and dogs.
matteroftrust—April 02, 2010 — You shampoo because hair collects oil. That means it can collect petroleum oil spills too. Over 300,000 pounds of hair are cut each day in the US and not to mention all the clippings from pet groomers. We hope you'll enjoy this little film about our charity's "Oil Spill Hair Mats Program" http://www.MatterOfTrust.org Our thanks to Phil McCrory, hair mat inventor http://www.smartgrow.us The music is "Via Con Me" by Paolo Conte Seal photo courtesy of http://www.deusexmalcontent.com/
