Kindness Not Faith

Celebrate Don't Desecrate

2010-12-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

We cut down the trees that have been growing for five to ten years, drape them in cheap tinsel and baubles, and then throw them in the gutter to rot when we're done with Xmas. Why not decorate the trees outdoors? They're just as beautiful to behold and aren't destroyed afterward.

Dog Sex

2010-11-25T17:52:00.000-08:00

Why do people react so strongly against their dog humping or being humped by another dog? We've got it backward. We breed them for profit, adding countless dogs to the streets, shelters and death row, but when a dog who is spayed or neutered wants to get physical for their own reasons, we flip out. As long as they cannot procreate, and both parties are interested, what's the problem? If you're embarrassed by it, cover your delicate eyes. Dogs have little or no autonomy in their own lives as it is. Let them express this most natural urge!

Let 'Em Fly

2010-11-11T23:26:00.000-08:00

Does it even need to be said that birds are meant to fly? And to feel the wind, mate, nest, and eat when they choose? Keeping birds as pets means cages/jails and wing-clipping, in effect, no semblance of a natural life, just a sad existence as our room decorations or conversation-pieces.

Even worse is when people wear a bird on their shoulder like exotic jewelry, essentially as a talking piece to gain attention in public. The bird's wings are clipped, of course, to prevent them from flying off.

It may not be against the law to buy and sell animals, but it should be. There's no moral right to "own" another being. The best we can do is to care for those creatures we've already domesticated with respect for their needs, and put an end to breeding and selling them.

Get Off Their Backs

2010-11-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

What is sport? Ideally, it's voluntary, fair and equally enjoyed by all parties right? Jumping on a horse's back, forcing a metal bit into his mouth which the horse continually tries to expel, directing his every move by yanking his head left or right like a puppet, and sticking him back in the stall like a car in the garage when done with him is not sport. Horses like to be around other horses, to trot, graze and to court, none of which they can do while stuck in a stall. Of course they enjoy the chance to finally get out and run after being stuck in a small space all day, but they don't need a bossy tyrant on their back for that.

Fishing Stinks

2010-11-09T00:23:00.000-08:00

Where's the thrill in poking hooks through live worms in order to impale unsuspecting fish, before throwing them into a bucket where they suffocate slowly or are crushed to death? And this only after the excruciatingly painful decompression they suffer as they are dragged up through the water. Even those that are let go often die from their injuries or from shock. Yes, fish do have pain receptors, and they do feel fear.

Don't those who fish ever wonder, while reeling in a fish who's struggling to get free and to simply breathe, how it would feel if someone were to force and hold their head under water?

Eating fish isn't even good for our health, being full of pesticides and metals that cause cancer, brain damage and liver problems, but even if it was healthy, it would still be wrong. The very simple reasons being: we don't need to eat fish for survival. and fishing causes much fear and pain.

Eating Other Creatures

2010-11-05T22:17:00.003-07:00

People think that we must be natural carnivores because other animals need meat to survive. The truth is that people eat meat, fish and fowl because we like the taste, even though it's not only unnecessary for our survival, but unhealthy as well, and all are procured through unimaginable suffering. Ironic that we deem ourselves the exalted species, singularly infused with the ability to feel compassion.

Are You Purebred?

2010-11-05T22:17:00.001-07:00

When people talk of their dog's pedigree, I ask them what breed they are. As long as people continue to buy designer pets from breeders, countless homeless dogs and cats of all types will continue to be killed at the pound every day. Domestication is wrong for so many reasons, not least of which is that it means creating in other animals an unnatural and dangerous dependency on us. This is exacerbated further by the ugly business of breeding. Even one litter means thousands more as they in turn reproduce, generation after generation, while healthy animals waiting in cages on death row are killed to make room for the new ones.

If animal suffering matters to you, don't buy them from breeders or pet stores. Animals are NOT commodities to be bought, sold and flaunted. They are sentient just as we are. Adopt from the pound, from rescue organizations or rescue a stray from the street, and always spay and neuter. Least important is their pedigree, or ours for that matter.

Hands off the Claws

2010-11-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

Banned or severely restricted in more than 24 countries, veterinarians with the most basic ethics refuse to declaw cats. The operations involve ten separate, painful amputations of the claws, bones and cartilage that help cats to balance and climb as well as defend themselves. Besides the obvious cruelty, declawing has many potentially terrible side effects such as persistent pain, nerve damage, even hemorrhage and/or gangrene.

Declawed cats are usually kept indoors but are completely helpless if and when they do get outside. They are easy prey to dogs, other cats, raccoons etc..., unable to climb a tree to escape an attack, or to fight back.

There are ways to protect your furniture without mutilation. Trim claws, have adequate scratching posts, or cover areas of furniture with different fabrics(try various coverings; cats don't like the feel of slippery material). If nothing works for you, find a loving home for your cat(s) where they come before the sofa, and get yourself a stuffed toy animal.