As a lifelong lover of pigs (the film ‘Gordy’ turned me veg at 8 yrs old), gestation crates are, for me, one of the most heartbreaking elements of the factory farming system.

More than 6 million pigs in the U.S. are kept as breeding sows on factory farms…For a 400-pound sow, it’s such a tight fit that she can’t turn around, lie down comfortably or take more than a step forward and back for most of her life.

- Farm Sanctuary

Because most humans prioritize a momentary experience of gustatory pleasure above not only animal welfare but also their own health, mama pigs are subjected to a lifetime of loneliness, discomfort, and confusion. 

We can fight this by choosing and promoting a cruelty-free lifestyle (it’s fun, I promise!).

“This is a male baby chick, in his last moment on earth. Below him is a giant grinder into which he will fall alive because he hatched male, and is therefore useless to the egg industry. His fate is shared by 200 million baby male chicks every year. He lived only for a moment, but he wasn’t trash. He was someone.”

- Mikko Alanne

Why should we only use products from companies that do not test on animals? Why do I abhor vivisection?

These photos (more here) were taken by inspirational photographer Jo-Anne McArthur on Asian breeding farms. The long-tailed macaque is the most heavily trafficked monkey for worldwide research, and these are the conditions they are raised in before being shipped to laboratories.

Learn more about how to fight this horrific & heartbreaking cruelty at www.buav.org, and please, make a concentrated effort toavoid products that contribute to this.

True Religion was on The Humane Society’s list of fur free retailers (until yesterday!), but they’ve gone back on their promise and have begun selling fur. Not only have they lied to consumers, but they’re getting their fur from China, a country with virtually no animal protection laws, and some of the worst animal cruelty we’ve ever seen. Animals killed for their fur on Chinese fur farms are kept in tiny, filthy cages before they are beaten, anally electrocuted, and in many cases, skinned alive…

The fur vest True Religion has for sale is labeled as “Raccoon Fur”. However, raccoon’s are not native to China, but Raccoon dogs are. Raccoon Dogs are a fox-like nocturnal residents of Asian and northern European forests that bear a remarkable resemblance to raccoons. Despite their resemblance to Raccoons, they are part of the canine family.

Please urge True Religion to recommit to their promise of being a fur-free retailer, and continue to support compassion in fashion.

Please sign & share the petition HERE: http://chn.ge/wRdQU2

(via furfreela)

Tonight, Ricky Gervais (who has been known in the past for his anti-fur stance) tweeted this to 1,255,602 followers. LOVE IT.

I cut out a few words (to make it 140 chars) & retweeted it to @INTERMIX (why INTERMIX? click here!) …I suggest you do too! They reply to tweets all the time, I promise they’re listening.

I thought if there were ONE thing my city weren’t guilty of, it was horse-drawn carriages. However, tonight, they’ve proven me wrong. Rodeo Drive is hosting Sparkle 90210, an event that features…

There are major national campaigns fighting the inherent cruelty involved in this “tradition”. Numerous horses have been injured or killed in this industry in recent years, and it’s time to stand up for them.

Want evidence of the cruelty behind this trade? Look no further: http://bit.ly/tAoLZ3

How to make a difference:

*Comment on the Rodeo Drive facebook page (they’ve already deleted & blocked many comments/commenters, so don’t be surprised if they delete you- your voice was still heard!).

*Tweet at @RodeoDriveBH- they can’t silence you there!

Every word matters when it stands up against injustice. Please take a moment to let Rodeo Drive know that their decision to employ horses in the “spirit of Christmas” has not gone unnoticed.

THANK YOU!

Most of you know I’m a fan of luxurious, cozy, faux fur, so I was thrilled to see Bebe promoting it with their “Ruffle Front Fur Trim Cardigan”

As you can see, it’s advertised as a “faux fur collar”. Fabulous! However, imagine my disappointment upon seeing this tag, found on the actual garment:

Yes, you read that correctly: “100% Dyed Fox”

If you squint carefully enough, you can also see that the tag says, “Made In China,” and you know how fur animals are treated there.

I also see that Bebe has been removed from the Humane Society’s Fur Free Designer list, which makes me think they may be trying to quietly go back on their fur free pledge. Or, perhaps this is simply a case of mislabeling. Regardless, I encourage you to NOT shop with them until this matter is cleared up. And let them know your thoughts at @bebe_stores!

In the meantime, keep supporting stores like Anthropologie, Betsey Johnson, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, H&M, Guess?, Free People, and others who have stayed true to their fur free pledges!

C’mon Bebe, this isn’t your style, is it?

…but not on purpose.  After a highly successful INTERMIX anti-fur protest, I joined some friends for a glass of wine & some appetizers.  Though we’re all vegan, we uncharacteristically chose a non-vegan restaurant to duck into for some late night yumminess.  Unfortunately the menu was chock full of dead animals and their bodily fluids, but we settled upon some sweet potato fries and regular fries.  We happily munched for a while, and it wasn’t until I tried a fry with no ketchup that I almost threw up.  This one single french fry was noticeably infused (I presume from sharing oil) with taste of the chicken, which I haven’t eaten in over 15 years.  I thought it was just me, but as soon as I encouraged my friends & brother to sample a non-ketchuped fry, they felt equally nauseous.

My point here isn’t about any wrong-doings by the restaurant, but simply to highlight how disgusting, heartbreaking, and upsetting the taste of dead animal flesh can be once you’re not used to it.  At one point all of us around that table thought we couldn’t live without meat, and yet after a few years the mere trace of it was physically upsetting to us all.  Between the taste of rotting flesh and the knowledge that what I was eating contributed to this:

…I think I’ll have to stick to home cooking & vegan restaurants for a while.

Sorry for the rambling- my point is this: If you honestly think you can’t live without meat- if you love meat so much you’d rather die than cut it out of your life- I PROMISE you- give it some time and you’ll find it repulsive. Your tastebuds will eventually morph back into the vegetable loving entities they were meant to be, and your body, the environment, and animals everywhere will love you for it.

Wondering why I can’t shut up about INTERMIX selling fur?  This is why.  INTERMIX buys their rabbit fur from China.  These photos were taken on a Chinese rabbit fur farm.

Sickened? Me too. Join the INTERMIX: Please Stop Selling Fur Campaign here.

I need you.