A Maryland man was arrested on animal cruelty charges last week after he left his maggot-infested dog outside to die, reported The Washington Post. Events like this cry for an explanation, but no easy explanations are possible nor forthcoming. We are forced to dig deeper to reveal the diverse forces that made this poor animal’s fate a foregone conclusion.
With media coverage of the Yulin Dog Meat Festival growing, more and more animal lovers are travelling to Yulin with the intent of saving animals. Unfortunately, by buying dogs at inflated prices, they only end up supporting the same dog black market they are trying to end.
According to Wayne Pacelle, president of HSUS and author of The Humane Economy, animal protection should not be seen as a sacrifice, but an opportunity. If this is so, the logical conclusion must be to promote veg alternatives to meat, eggs, and dairy, rather than animal products produced with slightly less cruelty.
In Western religion, the Earth is merely the host on which we feed in our earthly passage, and the underlying assumption of the new stewardship dogma is that we should preserve nature in order to continue to exploit it. We need a revolutionary transformation that will free us from religious bondage and open our eyes to the beauty, wonder and Mystery of this Earth.
Many people have asked me lately why Kenya didn’t sell the ivory it has confiscated instead of destroying it, to get money and use it for conservation. Here are just a few selected reasons for why we should kill any trade in ivory, and why greed can’t save us.
A knowledge of the history of the humane movement will help us to grow and allow us to avoid some of the pitfalls on the road ahead. Human sensibilities do evolve. A glance backwards into time reveals that the human being is slowly, but surely, developing into a more “humane being.” Our task is to speed up the process.
Confucius taught that a noble person should not abandon morality for the space of a single meal. From his time 2500 years ago until the present day, one question has loomed especially large over the Chinese dinner table: is it morally acceptable to kill animals for food?
Towan was born in Woodland Park Zoo in 1968, and he remained there until he died. If you’ve visited the orangutans at the zoo in Seattle, you’ve likely seen him, and you’d probably remember him for his big, soulful, searching eyes, which were often aimed at the humans who trailed by his enclosure. I had the pleasure of seeing Towan spend many days doing two of the things he did best: creating art, and connecting with humans in a way that changed them forever.
Egyptian writer Fatima Naoot has been sentenced to three years in prison for “insulting Islam” by criticizing the Eid al-Adha animal sacrifice. Yet there are many devout Muslims who argue against the Eid slaughter as contrary to their religion’s true values.
A paraplegic cat adopted from Egypt, Elrond was originally named Rania in the belief that he was a girl. Recently I have come to wonder if Elrond might not be female in some sense after all.
Focusing on how vegans can improve the conditions of animals by simply appearing more approachable to non-vegans is not the best use of our time when it comes to solving such a controversial issue with so many devastating consequences.
“The fact that within China there has been a sustained reaction from animal welfare groups to this news gives us hope – even amongst the concern that this legislation generates.”