September 2, 2010

Do I want to be responsible for hurting this littl bun bun? Oh, hell, no!

A little over a month ago, I made a commitment to purge my household – and my life – of products that are tested on animals.  I heard about the 120 beagles who were rescued on July 4th from a bankrupt testing lab in New York, and was absolutely heartbroken to think that they had never been outdoors, chased a ball or run with other dogs.  They had never been allowed to be dogs; they were just test subjects.

I’ve been vegetarian for 16 years, and 99% vegan for the last 8 months, so it seemed inconsistent that I avoid eating meat, dairy and eggs because I don’t want to be a party to an animal’s suffering, but I’m doing exactly that when I buy my favorite Loreal mascara.  Or Charmin toilet paper.  Or Garnier hair color.

So I decided to get with the program and clean out my house.  Care to know how it’s going?  I’m not gonna lie; it’s a bit tough here and there.  I have these random conflicted conversations with myself…

Maybe I’ll just buy the Charmin toilet paper one more time, then I’ll buy Seventh Generation.

No, you’re a hypocrite. You said you were committed.

I am, but it’s TOILET PAPER for cryin out loud!  I can’t buy crappy TOILET PAPER!  No one will know if I buy it just once more.

You’ll know.  You’ll make one exception, then it’ll be two, then fourteen.  Do it 100% or don’t do it all.

Yeah, but I can’t find a new mascara that I like.  I have to have a good mascara!  You can’t expect me to sacrifice everything!

If you buy that mascara, you’re responsible for poking the wand into a bunny’s eye!  Don’t do it!  Don’t do it!  There are plenty of other mascaras out there that you haven’t tried yet.  Don’t be a quitter.

Well, what about my Clorox Toilet Wand?  Do I have to go back to having a drippy germy toilet brush in my bathroom?

Stop being a baby!  Are you committed to living without contributing to animal suffering, or are you committed to whining?

And so it goes.

To be completely honest, it’s easier to replace some products than others.

• Method and quite a few other companies make cleaning products that are cruelty-free.

• The Seventh Generation laundry detergent that I bought is happily cheaper than Tide!

• I’ve tried 3 mascaras already, and am not in love with any of them, but I have others to try and am confident there is a great mascara out there that is not animal-tested.

• I found a shaving cream that smells heavenly, like coconuts, and feels like buttah!

On the other hand, I’m having some big challenges.

• The biggest is with paper products.  I’m pretty picky about the brands of TP, paper towels and napkins I buy; not to mention those, you know – feminine products – and I haven’t found any good replacements for them yet.  There don’t seem to be many options at all to choose from.  Surely, there has to be a solution!  The search continues…

• I’m also wondering what to do about my Swiffer Wet Jet that I dearly love.  Could there be a way to still make use of it since I already have it, without buying any more liquid or pad refills?  Those things were darn expensive anyway.

As I test more products and find excellent cruelty-free products, I’m going to assemble a list that will hopefully help someone else in my position.  I don’t want to blow smoke at you and tell you this process is a piece of cake, but it’s worthwhile and I’m committed.  Still whining a little now and then, because apparently I’m a much bigger brand-ho than I realized, and I like things the way I like them.  But I’m still committed! 

I’m really hoping that some of you will have some suggestions for me!  If you do, PLEASE send them my way and I’ll pay it forward!

Lil Bunny image from KevenLaws Flickr photostream.

~BigSis

July 25, 2010

How could I intentially inflict suffering on this adorable little thing?

When I heard the story about the 120 beagles rescued from the bankrupt animal testing lab, I was convicted to renew my commitment to banishing animal-tested products from my house.  Since then, every few minutes I think of another product I can’t buy again.  Here’s my list so far:

• Loreal Lash Out Mascara

• Loreal Voluminous Mascara

• Loreal Eye Cream

• Loreal EverPure Shampoo

• Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Make Up Remover

• Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Undereye Roller

• Garnier Nutrisse Hair Color

• Tide

• Clorox Wipes

• Clorox Toilet Cleaner

• Aveeno Shave Cream

• Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

• Clean & Clear Blotting Papers

• Neutrogena Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Mask

• Redken Align Hair Straightening Lotion

• Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen

• Scrubbing Bubbles

• Glad AND Ziploc Bags

• Puffs Tissues

• Swiffer Products

• Charmin Bath Tissue

Quite a monster list already, isn’t it?  I know that list will just get longer and longer, until it probably looks like it includes everything I use.  It really makes me feel bad that I’ve been supporting animal testing by buying all this cr*p from bunches of offending companies.

It’s going to hurt to abandon products that I’ve loved and used faithfully; sometimes for decades.  I have to experiment and find new products to replace all those…products that aren’t tested on animals!

But the point is, animal testing hurts bunnies, beagles, primates, mice and rats.  A lot.  More than we can even imagine. My momentary withdrawal pains are nothing in comparison.  Suck it up, BigSis. Instead of adopting a whiney attitude of “look what I’m giving up”, I’m going to approach this as an adventurous opportunity to find some products that are even better than what I was using before.  AND, no one will have to suffer because of my purchase.

Photo credit: Best Friends

~BigSis

July 20, 2010

My cats have never been so beautiful! Look at this shiny coat on my Gaby:

Ashy’s coat is just as shiny.  In fact, these two are SO beautiful that I contemplated making a third cat out of the massive blob of hair that the FURminator pulled out of them!

Can you believe this?!  And this pile wasn’t even from their first session with this miracle tool; it was the second!

I’d never even heard of the FURminator before, and now I’m the biggest cheerleader for this thing.  Do you know about the FURminator?  The purple tool in the photo above is the cat version with a 1.75″ edge that literally grabs onto the undercoat and gently pulls it out.  There is also a dog FURminator with a 4″ edge.

I know what you’re thinking. “BigSis, you probably don’t brush your cats. We should probably report you to the authorities for animal neglect.  No wonder you got so much dead hair out of their coat!  And your poor cats are probably Persians that you let get matted!  Shame on you, BigSis!”

Honestly, that’s not it at all. My cats get brushed regularly with a slicker brush, and I STILL got this much hair out of them!  Plus, they’re short-haired guys, not long-haired dudes!

I’m thinking my hairball problem just got solved with the discovery of the FURminator.  Voila.  Simple as that.  I paid over $35 for mine at PetSMart, and after seeing how well it works, it’s pretty much invaluable to me.  I don’t care how much I paid for it.  If you follow the FURminator links we’ve given you though, you can get your FURminator for a whole lot less than what I paid locally!  That’s a sweet deal!

I don’t RAVE about that many products, but this thing is unbelievable.  Do yourself a favor, and FURminate the dead hair out of your animal’s coat instead of cleaning it off your carpet!

~BigSis

July 18, 2010

Rex the Beagle Learns to Run

Did you hear about the July 4th rescue of 120 beagles from a  New York testing lab that went bankrupt?  Check this video of their Independence Day!

PetsAlive in Middletown, New York rescued the beagles, and got a hand from Best Friends.  Can you imagine 120 dogs who had never been outside, walked on grass, played with a toy, chased a ball, ran, sniffed another dog, walked on a leash, and most importantly…had never been loved?  PetsAlive and Best Friends had to be sensitive to these emotional issues, and also take care of the physical needs at the same time: vet checkups, neuterings and spayings, microchipping, shots, etc.  Then they had to find homes – good homes – for all of these guys.

As of last Friday the 16th, only 15 beagle babies were still looking for their new home.  If you think you might have one of those homes, you can still go to PetsAlive and fill out an online application.

Once all 120 of these beagles are safely placed in loving homes, what else can we do?  We can make sure that we DON’T support animal testing.  If we commit to only purchasing products that are NOT animal tested, then the testing will stop.  If we’re endorsing animal testing by buying those products, then animals like these beagles will continue to suffer.

Who DOESN’T animal test?  It’s simple to find out.  Go to caringconsumer.com and search for specific companies, or click on “Companies That Don’t Test” and “Companies That Do Test” to see printable lists.

You might be surprised to see that some really large, well-respected companies still animal test: Dial, Johnson & Johnson, Loreal, Max Factor, Bic, Clorox, Clairol, Procter & Gamble, Pantene, etc.  It’s disappointing.

The good news is that there are lots of companies who do not animal test, and they aren’t a bunch of hippy-dippy companies with low-quality products: Almay, Arbonne, Aveda, Bare Escentuals, Bath & Body Works, Bobbi Brown, The Body Shop, Caldrea, Calvin Klein, Clarins, Clinique, Essie, Estee Lauder, Jolen, L’Occitane, Lush, MAC, Norelco, Ojon, OPI, Origins, Paul Mitchell, Pureology, Stila, Trader Joe’s, Urban Decay, Victoria’s Secret, Whole Foods 365 House Brand, and hundreds more.

I’m committing to research all of the things I buy, and then I’m boycotting any company still on the testing list.  How about you?  I don’t want the suffering of more beagles, primates and bunnies on my conscience.

For more information on the beagle rescue, check PetsAlive press page.

Rex’s photo courtesy of Best Friends

~BigSis

May 20, 2010

A month ago, The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund urged Congress to pass H.R. 5092.  This bill would provide law enforcement with the tools they need to immediately crack down on animal cruelty “crush” videos.  If you’re like me, you don’t have a clue about what a “crush” video is.  Let me just say there’s a lot of depravity in our world.  A crush video depicts the intentional crushing, burning, drowning and impaling of puppies, kittens and other animals for one purpose…the disgusting titillation of some twisted people who will pay for those videos.

Back in 1999, President Clinton’s administration passed the Depiction of Animal Cruelty Act which pretty much eliminated the sale of the videos, but that Act was ruled unconstitutional in 2008.  Since then, the videos have reappeared and are now widely available for sale on the internet.

A day before H.R. 5092 was introduced in Congress, the Supreme Court ruled that the Depiction of Animal Cruelty Act was too broad, and might involve some depictions that are protected by the First Amendment.  That ruling led the sponsors of H.R. 5092 to immediately present it as a specific, targeted bill.

What can you do if you’re as horrified as I am about this issue?  Encourage your representatives to support it!  Now that we know about this, we can’t pretend that it doesn’t exist.  Passing this bill is a no-brainer!

For more information, check out the Humane Society of the United States‘ web site.  You can see a list of the 50+ representatives who introduced the bill.  A good place to start is to thank them!

~BigSis

May 8, 2010

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and I could make a strong argument for the fact that we should celebrate animal moms too.  You know I’ll take any excuse at all to talk about animals, especially babies!  Here are some of the most adorable little babies you’ll ever see!

Can you believe this little guy weighed just 6 pounds at birth?  Einstein is a pinto stallion, and is said to be the smallest horse in the world.  Be sure to watch the video to the end so you can see him try to buck.  So cute I can’t stand it!

These adorable lion cub triplets were just born January 27th at the Bronx Zoo. Can you guess their names?

They don’t actually have names yet, but they need them, and you and I can help name them.  Just go to the Bronx Zoo web site and cast your vote beginning May 16th.  Now watch these adorable guys frolicking and playing, and just try not to smile!  I want one!

If you have a favorite baby animal video, you know where to send it!  Meanwhile, Happy Mother’s Day to all you human moms, and animal moms too!

~BigSis

March 27, 2010

It’s tempting to buy a cute little chick, duckling or bunny at Easter.  They grow up though, and then how do you care for them?  Little chickies are adorable, but a full-grown feisty chicken is another story!

How about sponsoring a farm animal instead of buying one that you aren’t prepared to care for long-term?  Farm Sanctuary has a great farm animal adoption program that could be a perfect solution.  Do you have children who have outgrown Easter egg hunts?  Maybe you have a grandchild out of state?  Or perhaps you have a niece or nephew who loves animals?  Maybe you’ve decided this is the year you’ll be more creative at Easter, and you just don’t want to bring a bunch of candy into the house.  What a great idea to sponsor a farm animal in the name of someone special!

All you need to do is go to Farm Sanctuary’s adoption page and choose a duck, bunny or chicken to sponsor for $10-$15 per month, based on a one-year sponsorship.

I’m especially partial to Buttercup!

and Howard!

You or your gift recipient will receive an adoption certificate with a color photograph of the adopted friend, an adoption card, an invitation to schedule a VIP tour to meet the adopted friend, and other great benefits depending on the animal. If a year is more than you want to commit to, you can also make a one-time gift that will be greatly appreciated.

So if you’re looking for something different to do at Easter this year, here’s a way to do that and help a great cause at the same time!

~BigSis

January 28, 2010

I hope you’re all having a good week.  I’m having a great week myself, but I have a nagging feeling that I can’t seem to shake, and it’s about the 27,000 exotic animals that the SPCA is taking care of.  Last week, I told you about the largest animal rescue in US history that took place in Arlington about six weeks ago.  Since then, the SPCA of Texas has been caring for 27,000 exotic animals who were neglected and abused.

I got an urgent email from the SPCA this week, which said that the “people” (I use that word loosely) who owned the company have appealed the judge’s decision to confiscate the animals from them and award custody to the City of Arlington.  Until that appeal is settled, the SPCA will continue to care for the animals, at a cost of $8,000-$10,000 per day.  They are in desperate need of $150,000 ASAP!

If this situation touches your heart as it does mine, will you please consider making a donation to the SPCA?  If I could do another bake sale tomorrow that would put a dent in this need, I would do it.  But their need is much bigger than that.  They need us all to come together for them, and contribute what we can.  Thanks for considering helping these poor little critters!

BigSis added this note January 28 at 1:30 pm: I just found this great video on DallasNews.com, which shows some of the animals and gives you an idea of the lengths the SPCA is going to for these guys.  Here’s the link: http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/hp/index.html?nvid=412930

It’s short, so please check it out.  I’m in love with the Ring-Tailed Lemurs and the teensy turtles.

~BigSis

December 7, 2009

Our “little baking team that could” has been baking up a storm the last two weekends, and we have just one more week to get everything baked, packaged and organized!

We’re trying to raise another $3000 for the SPCA of Texas here in Dallas.  Last year’s sale raised $3055 and we really hope we can do better than that for the animals this year.

It seems like an overwhelming task to prepare $3000 worth of baked goodies, and then sell them all in just one day.  We all agree though that this is some of the biggest fun we have all year long!

So far, I have bunches of these things wrapped up in my freezer:

• Cranberry Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts

• Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts

• Strawberry Bread with Pecans

• Texas Pecan Pie Bars from the Pastry Queen

• Texas Pecan Pie Bars with Chocolate and Bourbon from the Pastry Queen

• Barefoot Contessa’s Outrageous Brownies

• Barefoot Contessa’s Outrageous Brownies with Mint Oreos

• Barefoot Contessa’s Outrageous Brownies with Bittersweet Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

SisMama has made a whole slew of awesome pound cakes in lots of flavors, and K & P have made oodles of breads.

Next weekend, we’ll be making all of the candies and other treats that we don’t want to freeze.  If you’re in the Dallas area, email me or leave a comment if you’d like to come visit us at the sale and I’ll send you the details.  If you’d like to donate to the SPCA of Texas but you’re too far away to visit us, you can use the web site that’s been set up for our donations.  It’s http://www.spca.org/goto/bakesale.

Meanwhile, wish us well!  The SPCA of Texas – like lots of animal organizations right now – is in serious need of funds in this economy, and we’d really like to help!

~BigSis

August 14, 2009

Where in the fudge have I been?  I hadn’t heard a peep about this award-winning documentary called “The Cove” until last week, even though it won the Sundance Film Festival and a bunch of other awards, nor did I know anything about the atrocities revealed in the movie.  Since it’s not my style to stick my head in the sand, I went to see the “The Cove” last night, although I knew it would be emotional.

Now I know a bunch of things that are horrifying and haunting me…things that I wish were not true.  To say that I am outraged and disgusted is an understatement.

Here is what I learned:

• There is a tiny fishing village in Japan called Taiji.  Every year from September to March, dolphins migrate through this area, and the “fishermen” of Taiji herd them into a cove, using the dolphins’ sensitivity to sound against them.

• In this cove, the prime dolphins – usually young females – are selected to be sold for up to $150,000 each.  Taiji is the world’s largest supplier of dolphins to water parks like Sea World.  A live dolphin show can bring $1 million per year to the attraction, so there is continuous demand from these parks for dolphins.

• The dolphins who are not chosen for sale are slaughtered by these “fishermen” who stab at them repeatedly from boats with long harpoon-like poles, until the cove is literally filled with blood.  Then the dead dolphins are fished out of the water with hooks and hauled off to be cut up.

• Taiji is alone responsible for the annual slaughter of 23,000 dolphins.

• The *meat* from these dolphins is then sold, often being passed off as whale meat. The acceptable level of mercury for human consumption is .4 ppm (parts per million), however, because dolphins are so high up the food chain, their tissues can contain 2000 ppm.  The risk of mercury poisoning is therefore very high for any one who eats dolphin.

• Until “The Cove” team broke this story, the dolphin meat masquerading as whale meat was being given to schools for free, so the contamination was being delivered directly to Japan’s school children.  It is still sold as whale meat to unsuspecting consumers.

• One dead dolphin may bring $600, but the “fishermen” say they are slaughtering the dolphins for pest control, more than for the money, because dolphins eat so much fish that the supply of fish is diminishing at alarming rates.  They apply this same ridiculous rationale to whales.  Never mind the fact that humans deplete the seas of fish to the extent that some people think the oceans will be void of any fish within 40 years at the current fishing rate.

• Half of the dolphins in captivity only live 2 years.  They suffer from depression, which is understandable since in the ocean they swim 40 miles a day.  They also suffer from ulcers, to the extent that the water parks stock Tagamet and Maalox to treat them.

• Dolphins can commit suicide.  They choose to deliberately breathe when they are out of the water, unlike humans who breathe automatically without ever giving it a thought.  So they can choose NOT to breathe.

Now that I know about all this, I can’t forget that I know it and I want you to know it too.  Here’s the trailer for “The Cove“.

What you first need to know is that Ric O’Barry trained the dolphins for “Flipper” in the 60s.  He had an epiphany after one of the dolphin stars of the show – Cathy – died in his arms.  He says that she was so depressed that she chose to stop breathing and die, rather than continue her so-called life in captivity.

Since then, Ric has spent 35 years trying to end dolphin abuses and captivity.  In the documentary, at great risk to his personal safety, he sets out to reveal the atrocities that are being committed in Taiji.  He and an incredible team plan to film what happens in the cove, since it is highly protected, for reasons you will see.  They succeed, and we see the actual footage of the slaughter.

So now that we have seen this footage with our own eyes, and it has been brought out of the dark veil of secrecy into the light, what are we going to do about it?  It has to stop.  WE have to stop it.  Here’s what you can do:

• Go see “The Cove” and encourage others to see it.  Check thecovemovie.com for viewing locations in your area.

• Stop patronizing parks that feature live dolphin shows.  They aren’t having fun, and they aren’t smiling!

• Support the filmmaker – Ocean Conservation Society – with your financial donations.

• If you must eat fish, find out which fish has the safest levels of mercury.

• Contact our leaders and help get the word out in Japan.  This link will allow you to sign a petition letter online and share the opportunity with other people who care.  It couldn’t be easier.

• Donate to SaveJapanDolphins.

• Learn more about dolphins in captivity.

• Tell everyone you know about the cove and what happens there.  There are people just like me who had no clue about this, and who need to know.

I’ll leave you with one personal experience.  When LilSis and her family and I went to Maui in 2000, the highlight of the trip for me was the snorkeling day trip we took to Kauai.  As our boat cut through the water, we had several different varieties of dolphins swimming along the front of our boat, escorting us.  We had pods of bottlenose dolphins, spotted dolphins and spinner dolphins, and maybe others.  It was thrilling to watch them, and the emotion they exuded was just joy joy joy.  They seemed to be having the time of their lives, swimming and spinning, swimming and spinning.

To think that anyone could slaughter these incredible creatures for any reason is incomprehensible to me.  I’m not going to stop talking about it until the hell in Taji is stopped.

Check out these links for more information:

http://thecovemovie.com/

http://www.takepart.com/thecove/

http://opsociety.worldsecuresystems.com/the-cove.htm

http://savejapandolphins.com/

http://www.surfersforcetaceans.com/

Sarah Newman’s Huffington Post Article “Japans Dirty Little Secret is Out”

Jennifer Grayson’s Huffington Post Article “Why is the Japanese Government Hell-Bent on Killing Dolphins?”

Tara Lohan’s Huffington Post Article “The Cove: Japan Has a Dark Secret It Hopes the World Will Never See“

~BigSis