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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

How To Prevent Animal Cruelty

Have you ever seen someone hurting an animal and felt like you couldn't do anything to stop it? Well, read on—there are important ways that you can speak up.




Get Help! If you see someone hurting an animal, or know of an animal who looks sick, injured or does not have adequate food, water or shelter, you can do something about it. Never try to help the animal yourself. Instead, tell an adult you trust. Together, you and an adult can call the police or your local animal shelter. It's very important to inform the police because animal cruelty is against the law in all 50 states.



Write Everything Down! Be prepared to provide information on the cruel act that you witnessed. Write down what you saw happen, who was involved, the date of the incident and where it took place.



Be Responsible! Don't let your animal friends roam free. Keep your cats indoors. Dogs should always be on leash and supervised when they're outside.



Be a Leader Be kind to animals and others will follow. Let your family, friends, classmates and adults know that hurting animals is not cool.



Volunteer Your Time! You're never too young to volunteer your time helping animals. Contact your local animal shelter or humane society for junior volunteer programs. For a list of shelters in your area, search our National Shelter Directory.



Spread the Word! Share facts and information about the prevention of animal cruelty and responsible pet care with your friends, family, teachers, neighbors and classmates.



Invite a Guest Speaker to Your School. Ask your teacher to have someone from your local animal shelter or humane society come and speak to the students in your school. These awesome animal lovers teach kids all kinds of things such as pet care, dog bite prevention, how to pet a dog and how to stop cruelty.



Start a Club! With the help of one of your teachers, organize an animal lovers' club at your school.



Check it Out! In order to stop animal abuse, we need to understand WHY people are cruel to animals.


You can see the ASPCA's own animal cops in action on Animal Precinct, a television show on Animal Planet.


________________________________________

I didn't write this article. I found it here: http://www2.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kids_ri_reportcruelty



I think it's important because if we follow these simple tips we CAN make a difference to end animal cruelty.
 
P.S. I accidentally deleted this post, so I'm posting it again.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Save the Whales... and the dolphins too, please

I just watched an amazing movie about dolphin slaughter in Japan.
It's called The Cove, you can get it at redbox vending machines for $1 a night.
It blew my mind.
I cried at parts, I screamed at the people on the screen, I knashed my teeth and bit my lip.
And this movie? It's all real. It's a documentary.
It is completely and utterly horrifying.

Visit the site here.

The following information is from that site:

5 THINGS YOU CAN DO NOW:
  1. Write to our leaders and help get the word out in Japan
  2. Learn more about dolphins in captivity
  3. Calculate your mercury exposure
  4. Help Save Japan Dolphins' efforts on the frontlines
  5. Support the filmmakers with your donation


FAQs:

Who eats dolphin meat?
THE MOVIE:
The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the 5 dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.”
But his close relationship with those dolphins – the very dolphins who sparked a global fascination with trained sea mammals that continues to this day -- led O’Barry to a radical change of heart. One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry came to realize that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent and self-aware creatures so beautifully adapted to life in the open ocean must never be subjected to human captivity again. This mission has brought him to Taiji, a town that appears to be devoted to the wonders and mysteries of the sleek, playful dolphins and whales that swim off their coast.
But in a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality.  It is here, under cover of night, that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt.  The nature of what they do is so chilling -- and the consequences are so dangerous to human health -- they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it.
Undeterred, O’Barry joins forces with filmmaker Louis Psihoyos and the Oceanic Preservation Society to get to the truth of what’s really going on in the cove and why it matters to everyone in the world.  With the local Chief of Police hot on their trail and strong-arm fishermen keeping tabs on them, they will recruit an “Ocean's Eleven”-style team of underwater sound and camera experts, special effects artists, marine explorers, adrenaline junkies and world-class free divers who will carry out an undercover operation to photograph the off-limits cove, while playing a cloak-and-dagger game with those who would have them jailed. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope. 
The Cove is directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPre Pesman and Fisher Stevens.  The film is written by Mark Monroe.  The executive producer is Jim Clark and the co-producer is Olivia Ahnemann.


The following photos are very graphic; skip if you have a weak stomach. They are of the dolphin slaughter.


Luckily, since the filming (including hidden cameras!) ended, changes have already begun. The question is, is it enough?




Guess what posters I'll be plastering over my notebooks and walls and distributing to my friends? That's right...


You've heard of Saving the Whales, but dolphin slaughter is sooo much worse.

Dolphins are smart. People-smart. Smarter-than-people smart.
Have you ever interacted with a wild dolphin? Not at SeaWorld. Not in the kitchy Bahamian "swim with dolphins" gig. Wild dolphins. Swimming at the prow of your boat, rolling to look up at you, wild and free but interested in you and so unafraid.

The following is from the blog of my family's two-year trip in the Caribbean, living on our 40-foot sailboat. My mom wrote it:

"We had a fantastic day-sail up to Belize, and by mid-afternoon had the islands of the Sapodilla Cays in sight. As we approached the long barrier reef in incredibly clear blue water, we were approached by a school of dolphins. They stayed with us for an hour, playing in the bow wake, rolling over to look up at us, and I even touched one, leaning over the bow with my outstretched arm as he swam back and leaped out of the water under my hand. Olivia and I spent a long time watching and talking to them. It was really magical!

To watch a movie about these dolphins, click here."


(Sorry, the link to the movie doesn't have anything on it, I need to tell my mom about that... it's basically footage of the dolphins swimming alongside us, and us rubbing their bellies. They LOVED it, no joke, they totally LOVED it. They'd press against our hands.)


Please. Think. Do.


The oceans aren't ours. They aren't anyone's.

Keep them safe. Protect their creatures.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Traps

Have you ever seen a fox before? With it's beautiful fur? Well, some people capture and kill animals such as foxes because they want the fur. They want the fur fr their own greedy purposes, such as fancy clothing or sell the fur for money. But what happens to the animals? The animals suffer because fur hunters don't have the procedure painless. Instead, they use wire, traps and snares to trap the poor animals. Some animals even try to bite their own bones and limbs off to get free of the trap. That just shows how much it really hurts. When the hunter finally frees them, it's already too late. It's just incredibly sad. Here's a chart i got from http://www3.sympatico.ca/taniah/animal/fur.html that shows how many animals it "takes" to make the clothes.

Number of target      animals in 40" coat Number of 'Trash'    animals per coat      Total hours spent in a trap

Coyote                                            16                                        48                             960                      

Lynx                                                18                                        54                            1080

Mink                                               60                                        108                           3600

Opossum                                         45                                        135                           2700                  

Otter                                                20                                        60                            1200                  

Red Fox                                           42                                        126                          2520             

Raccoon                                           40                                        120                           2400                  

Sable                                                50                                         150                         3000                       
  
Seal                                                   8                                           -                              32                       

Muskrat                                            50                                        150                         1500              

Beaver                                              15                                          45                            225                                                                              






References:

- http://www3.sympatico.ca/taniah/animal/fur.html
- Statistics from Skin Trade Primer by Susan Russell, published by Friends of Animals


Visit http://www3.sympatico.ca/taniah/animal/fur.html for more information.


~Goldenstream

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Lithuania Teenager Throws Dog Off Bridge

This is SUPER sad! This is PURE animal cruelty!

WARNING: Watch at your own risk! This is VERY sad! The video cuts out where the dog is thrown over...but if you want to see the whole thing....ONLY watch the full thing if you are very strong stomached! Because it is very sad! To see the FULL report...go HERE...




Wasn't that SUPER sad! Sign this petition if you think that this man should have a loner sentence! he only got 8 months of jail! I will report this-the dog, Pepper, has died. The man who did this is only getting 8 months as I said before. Click ANYWHERE is this paragraph to sign the petition!

(sorry people! Sort of the wrong video.....)

Dog Fighting, Cock Fighting, and One Un-Won Challenge

Every day, a pit bull fights for its life in an arena with another pit bull. Every moment, two roosters stare each-other down until their owners pushes them forward for them to fight. Every time a bell rings, one of these species has died, and one species has won the challenge. Many gangs do these illegally. It all happens right under our noses, right in our own neighborhood, maybe even right next door.

My Pit Bull Rescue
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It was getting late, and my mom and brother had both went to bed. My dad and I were watching a movie, when two teenage girls knocked on the door. We opened the door to find that the teenagers were not alone. They had a box of pit bull puppies in their arms, and the mother of the pit bulls was standing right behind them. "Do you know who owns these dogs?" one of the girls asked. "No, I'm not sure." my dad replied. "Okay, sorry for bothering you." the girls walked away. They were just barely down the street when my dad walked out the door. I followed him and we went to see the puppies. They were so cute! It was obvious the mother used to fight. It had scars, and a large collar around its neck. It was as sweet as ever though. My dad offered to take the puppies and try to find the owners. We got our car, put the puppies in them along with the mother. We fed the puppies and gave them water. They ate so fast, the food bowl was sliding across the floor. I gave each puppy a short bath in the sink (they were about a month old) and we kept the mother in the laundry room (we have a big laundry room). The next day, our neighbor came over, and offered to help take care of them with us. That same day, we drove to a place called "Pit bull Paradise" and gave them the puppies and the mother. On the way their, one of the puppies kept puking everywhere, but stopped later on. I was so proud to know that I saved a family of Pit bulls. All I wanted to do that day though, was strangle the guy/girl who did this to their dogs.

That's my story! Another thing I want to tell you about is Cock fighting. Roosters are kept in rotten conditions, and are forced to fight other roosters until death. People place bets on their animal, and whoever wins, gets the money.

The Un-Won Challenge
__________________
Bull fighting! How horrible is it? Male bulls are tied up, teased, have their... er, "body parts" yanked, then forced to have a human on their back just so the humans will be knocked off! Please don't go to a Bull fight. Sure, you can't get more "Texas" than that, but it doesn't mean it's right.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Birds in the Air

    Birds in the air...so care-free....not bothering to see what is happening below them. The destruction...destruction of their home...of their lives....
    Birds in the air are trying to escape. But for what? For a new home that won't be there when they get to it? For a new life which won't be able to start? For a change? Which won't ever happen?
    Birds in the air are creatures. Living, breathing, just like us. But do they kill us off? NO! Do they make us move to new homes? NO! Do they make us change our ways? NO!
    Why do we kill them off? For our own needs. Why do we make them move to new homes? For our own needs. Why do we make them change their ways? For our own needs.
    Do we need to have these destructive ways? Do we need to be so cruel? DO WE NEED TO BE LIKE MONSTERS? Do we really need to behave like this?
    We are no more superior then a fish in the sea. For we are animals also. We should respect others ways. We respect each other. Do we not? Then why not respect the whole animal kingdom?
    Are we too selfish? Are we too demanding? Are we really that unobservant to see that other species, need our help. Our help to keep them living. To keep them breathing.
    Do we need to change our ways? I say yes to this. Can we help them? I say yes to this. Can we prevent the destruction to the mammals we call our friends? I say yes to this.
    Can we help those who need a new start in life? Yes. Those who can't help themselves? Yes. Those who can't speak for themselves? Yes. Those who always need us there? Yes.

  Birds in the air are trying to escape. But for what? For a new home that won't be there when they get to it? For a new life which won't be able to start? For a change? Which won't ever happen?

~~Casey

Friday, December 11, 2009

Misunderstood for Funny

I've seen things that say "Fattest Cat" and people will think it's funny. That's not true. Fat cats live sad lives, and it's not the right way to live for a human, or a cat. The same goes for any other animal. It's actually considered animal cruelty. Their was a cat that lived longer than any other cat and it ate bacon and drank coffee all day (says the book) but that doesn't mean that your cat will live that long living off stuff that is bad for humans.

Tips for Preventing a Fat Pet
______________________
  1. Don't feed your pet scraps.
  2. Don't "spoil" your dog with food from the fork.
  3. Don't ever give your pet candy or sweets. It can kill them.
  4. DO let your pet run outside (if a four legged animal) and if a bird, let them stretch their wings outside of the cage.
Those are a few things that you should think about. If you have any tips, please comment with them! The more information for others (and yourself) the better.

~Brooke

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Very Sad Video!

 Hi, as the title says, this is a very sad video but it is perfect for this blog.

WARNING: DO NOT WATCH IF YOU ARE SCARED OR GET REALLY SAD EASILY! THIS VIDEO IS VERY SAD AND MAY SHOW DEATH BECAUSE I NEVER WATCHED THE ENTIRE VIDEO BEFORE! I KNOW IT SHOWS PEOPLE BEATING ANIMALS AND ANIMALS GETTING HURT! SO DON'T WATCH UNLESS YOU CAN STAND AND IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS, DON'T BLAME ME OR ANYONE ELSE BECAUSE I NEVER FORCED YOU TO WATCH THIS AND THIS WARNING WAS HERE!





 If you watched this, I warned you! So that video is (almost) this entire blog is about. So try to read all the posts so you can see what you can do to make a difference!


                                  -CherrystarLuv and all the Members of Voice!