Well, it's official. In Switzerland's animal rights referendum, 70 percent of voters voted "no" on a measure that would assign lawyers to protect abused animals. If you do the math, that means that 30 percent of voters supported it.
It was probably too good to be true.
But when you think about it, it's amazing that such a referendum even made it to the ballot. It speaks so highly of the Swiss.
No point in getting discouraged. Switzerland still has extremely tough laws that protect animals. Just the fact that its citizens were able to vote on such a referendum sets an important precedent. The next time a similar referendum comes up - either in Switzerland or a different country - it won't be quite so unusual.
Meanwhile, those who inflict excessive cruelty on animals face very stiff punishments in Switzerland. Of how many countries in the world can that be said?
(Note: Antoine Goetschel, attorney and Zurich's leading animal advocate, is pictured here with a friend.)
I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I have to keep looking on the bright side to prevent from getting too discouraged. And there is, thankfully, a bright side. Yesterday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated 55 types of Pacific birds for special protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. That means these birds, which include Hawaii's Maui Parrotbill (pictured here), will fall under the vigorous protection of the U.S. government. This is great news. Hawaii, in particular, has been a difficult place for birds. Since human beings first began settling the Hawaiian Islands, 71 bird species have gone extinct. To quote an Associated Press report:
Hawaii accounts for one-third of U.S. endangered birds. Thirty-one Hawaiian bird species are listed as endangered. Altogether the agency added 186 species to the migratory treaty list and subtracted 11, bringing the current total to 1,007.
The official number of protected migratory birds in the U.S. now surpasses 1,000, which is great news - especially vulnerable birds. Now these birds will be monitored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and protected by stringent laws.
A black Vietnamese pot-bellied pig named Oscar, who lives in Dallas, Texas, has just been named the oldest pig in the world by Guinness World Records. He is twenty years old. Above is a video of Oscar, posted on YouTube, enjoying one of his favourite snacks: a pear. His owner, Stacy Kimbell, purchased Oscar as a piglet in 1989. Her boyfriend, proud owner of a pig named Ziffle, saw that the pig thought to be the oldest pig in the world was actually younger than Oscar. So Kimbell produced all kinds of documentation to show that Oscar turned twenty on October 29, 2009. As a young pig, Oscar enjoyed fifteen minutes of fame when he was pictured on a greeting card wearing a string of pearls (!).
Recently, Oscar's family celebrated his birthday, which included guests wearing pig-snout disguises who showered the pig with gifts. Most importantly, Oscar has always been a loyal and loving family member. Like all pigs, he's highly intelligent. He also enjoys spending time with people and the other family pets in the household. Apparently, he's also a great watch pig and chases away anybody he thinks might be an intruder. Congratulations, Oscar! All pigs should have a chance to live such a long and rewarding life.
California may soon have an Animal Abuser Registry that publicly lists the names of men and women who abuse animals. Bring it on! This would set a much-needed precedent in the battle to reduce (and hopefully one day end) animal abuse. A bill was introduced last month by California's Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez to create the registry. Said Florez: "We think California is primed for this kind of a bill. We've progressed to the point where we as a legislature are moving in a direction of this bill, which is ultimately: How do we in essence prevent repeat offenses when it comes to cruelty to animals in the state of California?" (Source) The registry, according to Time magazine, would "make it easier for shelters and animal-adoption groups to identify people who should be allowed access to animals." (Source) California is on the right track. Let's hope other states move in a similar direction very soon.
A big thumbs up to the 12 students from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, who are using their spring break to volunteer at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York. Pictured here is Anna Robinson of Xavier, doing her part to help the wonderful animals. These students have opted to work at the Farm Sanctuary's 179-acre farm as part of their "Alternative Spring Break." I have blogged many times about this wonderful organization, which provides a spacious, healthy and loving home some 800 beautiful farm animals. The folks at Farm Sanctuary are such an inspiration because they show there is a different way - a better way - for humans and animals to interact. The animals all have amazing and moving stories, which are told on the Farm Sanctuary website. The "Alternative Spring Break" just goes to show that a lot of people are fighting the good fight for animals. No matter where you look - in the United States, Canada, and all around the world - people are showing with their words and deeds that they love their fellow animals and will go out of their way to help. In a day and age when the brutality of factory farms and fur traps and laboratory testing all loom so large, it is essential to stop and remember the many simple acts of courage and kindness committed by true friends of the animals. (Source)
The Finish Broadcasting Company - known by its abbreviation YLE (don't ask me why) - has shown devastating footage of the inside of fur farms. The footage was shot by Oikeutta Eläimille, a Finnish animal rights group. I haven't seen it, but apparently it's very difficult to watch. It shows foxes who are so distressed they've eaten their own tails. And the video wasn't just shot at one fur farm - there are film clips from some thirty fur farms across the country, and it all tells the same horrifying story. A spokeswoman for the Finnish Fur Breeders' Association assured the Helsinki Times: "The everyday reality on Finnish fur farms is completely different. The average Finnish fur farmer is extremely responsible."
But animal rights activists beg to differ. In fact, the heroic Finnish group Oikeutta Eläimilleis helping organize anti-fur demonstrations in Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden. These protests are vital because the Finnish Industry exports fur to so many different countries around the world. (Source)
It's a noble struggle, full of lots of heroes and heroines. The British model Twiggy has been wonderful in this fight. Recently, she slammed fashion designers for creating coats from foxes and minks. As Twiggy put it: "I am very sad some designers are still using real fur when the fake alternatives are so effective and easily obtainable. Is it really worth this cruelty just for fashion's sake? I don't think so." (Source)
In the months ahead,Oikeutta Eläimillewill keep organizing fur protests against the Finnish fur industry. The struggle continues.
Plans are underway in England to construct a factory farm that will house approximately 8,100 cows. It is apparently known as a "Supersize" cattle factory. The cows will have next to no room to move around and will seldom enjoy any sunlight or fresh air. The facility will operate 24 hours and produce 430,000 pints of milk per day. The company, Nocton Dairies, has assured the public that the cows will get to go outside from time to time and that a veterinarian will be on staff full time to monitor their health. Adds spokesman Peter Wiles: "We will have a visitor centre to show the public around. We are aiming to have exceptional standards." I'm sure these cows, if given the vote, would agree with Linda Wardale, spokeswoman for the group Vegan Lincs, who said: "Cows should be in the field, nibbling on grass, but here they're going to keep them in sheds." (Source)
Nocton Dairies will commence operations in September. Sadly, this state-of-the-art facility is about as good as conditions get in the factory farm system. It is a new facility, shiny and clean, where the cows will probably not be physically abused (unlike a lot of dairy farms in North America). But make no mistake: These cows are still treated as enslaved property. Like all dairy cows, these thousands will be kept perpetually pregnant to give milk. And guess what happens to their babies?
This is yet another reminder of why this system ought to be abolished.
If you haven't seen the BBC's 2001 documentaryBlue Planet, you should definitely check it out. Some of the most compelling footage comes from the bottom of the ocean. I've included a film clip from the documentary (above), just to give you a small taste of what it's about.
Pictured here to the right is one of the stars of Blue Planet, the famed Blobfish (not to be confused with Rush Limbaugh), a bottom-dweller (again, not to be confused with Rush Limbaugh) who lurks in the darkest depths in the world (yeah, yeah, yeah, not to be confused with Rush Limbaugh). Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass writes of the Blobfish:
Most fish don't really have faces. You've heard people refer to "fish eyes" or "fish lips," or they say, "Oh, shut up, you old fish face." But the blobfish actually has a face. Not a fish face, but a human face, complete with lips and a big, bulbous nose. A blobfish looks like some fat, drunken judge and may be highly intelligent. And therefore quite dangerous. It frowns. It leers. Sometimes, it even drools.
Equally cool is the Fangtooth (left), another deep-sea fish who apparently is equipped with the biggest teeth in the ocean. With choppers like that, you don't want to go messing around with caramel. Fangtooth brings to mind that old Groucho Marx quote, "I never forget a face. But in your case, I'm willing to make an exception." Actually, they look really scary, but Fangtooths are not dangerous to humans. Part of the reason is that they're only about six inches long and humans scare them. The other reason is that you have to swim pretty deep in the ocean - anywhere from 3,000 to 16,000 feet under the surface - to actually encounter one. Like their comrades the Blobfish, the Fangtooths prefer the deep blackness of the ocean's bottom. You'll also be happy to know that this fish possesses a fully functioning gas bladder, giving it the ability to, um, er, uh, cut the cheese. Sadly, Blue Planet neglected to say whether the bubbles from its farts make it to the ocean's surface.
Keep an eye on your TV Guide for Blue Planet to see these and countless other amazing fish.
I bet you didn't know March 1 is "National Pig Day" in the United States. It is not an "official" holiday - meaning it has not yet been designated a holiday by the United States Congress. Nevertheless, National Pig Day has been around since 1972, when two sisters - one from Texas, the other from North Carolina - came up with a holiday to celebrate one of the world's most beautiful yet often unappreciated animals.
All kinds of people are commemorating the event in a variety of different ways. In Boston, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) is using this day to issue an invitation for the public to participate in the making of a giant fruit salad. The salad will be shared by humans and pigs alike at the MSPCA's Nevins Farm in nearby Methuen. (Source)
The Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois, will be hosting a big celebration for their pigs, where children will be able to spend time with the three pigs who live there, Harley, Penelope and Georgia. (Source) I know some animal rights activists aren't partial to zoos, yet I think it's great that children are able to experience firsthand the joys of spending time with pigs, which they wouldn't otherwise be able to do if it weren't for the zoo. Maybe seeing the pigs up close will make some of them think twice, later in life, about eating these brilliant creatures.
Sadly, Miami, Florida's National Pig Days celebration will feature barbecued pork (in addition to pig racing). Maybe we should skip that one. (Source) A fair number of other National Pig Day events will, alas, feature some sort of pig meat - ham, pork chops, bacon - on the menu. For example, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, there will be complimentary pork sandwiches handed out where the city's baseball team, the IronPigs, plays. (Source)
It is my heartfelt wish to see two things: 1) Congress finally approve, officially, a National Pig Day in the United States; 2) When National Pig Day is authorized by Congress, hopefully people will develop an awareness of the beauty and brilliance of these animals and stop killing and eating them. Doesn't it sound far nobler - and more joyous - to share a fruit salad with pigs than to devour them on a bun or on a plate next to eggs?
Well, it's official. In Switzerland's animal rights referendum, 70 percent of voters voted "no" on a measure that would assign lawyers to protect abused animals. If you do the math, that means that 30 percent of voters supported it. 
