Years ago, I was the only female on a project for the hookup and commissioning of an oil platform off the Southern California coast, north of Santa Barbara.  My job was onshore computer functions, technical support, and employee relations. Translation: I ran errands and took the men that were injured to the hospital., went and loaded steel plates in the back of the company truck, ran toilet paper out to the helicopter, went and selected their movies at the local movie rental place. And I took the heat when someone had to get fired, because the thinking was they were less likely to punch me in the nose than the next guy.  When I saw where I was going to be working, I was horrified.  The only bathroom in the heliport had a door that didn’t lock or close all the way and it was right where the men congregated to wait to get out to the platform. I immediately told my boss, “I will not drink any water until this project is over!” In a weird bit of coincidence, my boss and I had the exact same birthdate, same year, and same place. We were two little babies in those plastic beds on rollers, side by side, never knowing we would one day be reunited on a tragic mission of folly.

Hooking Up An Offshore Oil Platform

I went out on the helicopter to the platform a lot. Sometimes the helicopter pilot would ask me to come along to even out the load; other times it was just for company.  He said that flying a helicopter was about as interesting as running to the end of the street, running back, and repeating ad nauseum every day, every week, every year.  My son voiced fear about my flying on the helicopter but I told him not to worry. Sadly, before the end of the project, there was a fatal helicopter crash and all on board were killed. It seems helicopters are very unstable.  My son has always been wise beyond his years; he never even said, “I told you so!”

The platforms are like small cities way out in the water.  They operate in a way that is rather incredible, and because they are in the middle of the ocean, the winds and storms hit them hard with no land mass to soften the blow or break up the impact.   There were close quarters for sleeping and a roomy dining area with decent cuisine, a host of people working to take care of the men who were working to take care of the platform.  I remember asking why there was the rainbow sheen of oil on the water surrounding the platform, and was told that was just normal, it had nothing to do with the oil platform.   I was shocked to learn that when the oil rig is done pumping oil, they take the top off but leave the platform.  Abandoned old platforms were dotting the ocean, and it did not take the wildlife long to set up housekeeping on them. Still, it seemed rather rude to litter the landscape with cast off platforms. It seemed downright disrespectful.

The Controversy Over Oil Platforms and Petroleum Products in the Ocean

There had been a lot of controversy about the platforms for years, and I was on the side opposing them for environmental reasons.  But as a single mom, I desperately needed the job, with two growing sons and two hungry cats at home to support.  It meant an incredibly long commute but I signed up anyway. Planting a metal beast in the ocean is no small undertaking. Just fighting the “June Gloom” to get the guys out on the platform was a major task, with the fog making it impossible to fly much of the time.

One can of motor oil out there could do a lot of damage, because there is an entire world under that water. It may be a world with which most of us are unfamiliar, but it is an entire ecosystem nonetheless.  When I first heard about the BP spill, I felt for those men out there working and killed so unnecessarily. I felt for their families. But I was also very aware of all the damage and death that was going on beneath the water, so deep down that we humans have no idea what we just unleashed. There were already dead zones in the ocean, and much of the sea life has already been decimated. There is an island of plastics larger than Texas out in the ocean,  and all those plastic bits are degrading into smaller pieces, killing and destroying wildlife. A single plastic bag, caught in the wind, can end up in the ocean and fool a marine animal into thinking it is a jellyfish, an unlucky surprise that ends in death. I have seen dozens of photos of those plastic rings that keep six-packs together, with a living animal trapped in it.  If there is this huge island out there somewhere, I am always amazed that we humans aren’t cleaning it up. If every nation would just go get a few barges full, we could stop the disaster it is creating, but we don’t. We could all use cloth bags, but we don’t. We don’t see it so we don’t deal with it.  And the innocent animals keep paying the price for our passivity.

The Mission of Folly Completed – Death, Bankruptcy, Injury

At the end of the project on which I worked, the platform was installed, but the company I worked for went bankrupt. The helicopter pilots never got paid. My money went into getting my car in good shape for those long commutes – at the end of the project I was hit by a high school student who was too busy fighting with his girlfriend to watch the road; my car was totalled and I never recovered any of the investment I had put into the car. Men died on that platform. Animals die, too. With the leaking wells in NY leaking for 50 years, the ones in the Amazon, the ones in Niger delta…this one..the growing island of plastics and the ever increasing dead zones in the ocean….it seems as if we are determined to destroy every bit of wildlife on this earth.

Two words come to mind: destruction, and deception.  I have heard reports that BP has people pulling dead animals from the shores, lest people realize the full scope of this disaster.  But even if they left the carcasses, no human will ever fully realize the scope of the disaster.  It is the animals, both human and nonhuman, that will pay for this folly. I think of the men that died on the installation of the platform on which I worked, those that have died working for BP and other oil companies, the millions to billions of animals that will be consumed by the toxicity of the petroleum, by the plastics. I recently tweeted something about the spill and said Go Vegan. I received a nasty tweet back saying shame on me, there is nothing about veganism that has anything to do with the oil spill. I guess if you think veganism is about diet, then you are right. But to me, veganism is about non speciesist respect for life.  I cannot imagine abolitionist vegans invading another’s habitat so callously, treating workers so carelessly, and lying so cavalierly about being prepared. It is behavior unworthy of a vegan.  Abolitionist vegans in particular are respectful and non-violent towards animal life in all its many forms.  What really gets my knickers in a knot is hearing the PR ads that BP is putting out, repeatedly stating that they will “make this right.”  How can they? How can they give our children a healthy ocean again? How can they return the wetlands, the wildlife, the dolphins, pelicans and fish? They don’t even know how to get the oil out of the water and suggest using more toxic ways to deal with the disaster they created, like nuclear options or chemical disbursements – meaning more death and destruction for wildlife. Why is it that Kevin Costner, a mere movie actor, has developed a  machine to remove oil from water, yet none of the oil companies have? And none of them, til now, bought his? Mr. Costner had gone to our congress about this machine, but no one cared. Such passivity is indeed toxic.  Veganism is one answer to these many complex problems which at the root are a disassociation from the natural world of which we are all a part. The end result of our passivity is the ever increasing black waters.

Vegan Abolitionists to Know

Paola Aldana hosts video podcasts all about veganism and abolitionist animal rights. Not only is she a clear spoken vegan, but she is delightful as well. You can find Paola on Facebook and Twitter too. Be sure to subscribe to her podcasts; that way you are alerted via email whenever there is a new one available, and you never miss a thing.

Dr. Roger Yates is a professor of sociology who is also an animal rights legend. He is currently creator of Human NonHuman Relations and one of the hosts on Animal Rights Zone.  His podcasts are by the same name as his blog and are available on iTunes.

Music:

Harry Shearer’s Addicted to Oil

Adam Lambert’s Mad World

New Broadway Musical Cast Recording of Cabaret – Money

Clips:

Best of the Left podcast

Bill Maher – Real Time

Leonard Lopate’s Underreported

Paola Aldana’s You Tube videos

Roger Yates - On Human-Nonhuman Relations

Recommended Films:

Crude - a documentary review

Who Killed the Electric Car?

Aerial View of Oil Platform

Oil platform

EditEarlier this year, an exotic pet dealer’s business was the subject of a hearing regarding animal cruelty, inhumane and inadequate care of the animals they were selling. Right here in the heartland of the USA, in Arlingto, Texas (near Dallas Ft.Worth metroplex), the largest ever exotic animal rescue was effected after undercover investigators blew the whistle loud and long about what was going on with Global Exotics.  By the time rescuers intervened, there were over 27,000 animals left in a warehouse, stuffed in bags, crawling, swimming, clawing one another in confined quarters, starving, suffocating, dying in large numbers. There were iguanas, who were dying from the cold in record numbers – we had snow here in March so one can only imagine how frigid a warehouse might be at night in the middle of winter. My own sister rescued  an iguana when it fell into her swimming pool. Now over a decade later, that iguana has grown as long as I am tall, and is doing well, but he is in a distinct minority. Few people research the needed warm temperatures or are willing to provide the adequate diet and veterinary care that my sister has provided to her friend. There were snakes, frogs, lizards, wallabees, hedgehogs, sloths, lemurs, agoutis, kinkajous, chinchillas, hamsters, ferrets, groundhogs, prairie dogs, geckos, anacondas, gerbils, rats, lizards, frogs, scorpions, boas, turtles, goldfish, mice, spiders and tarantulas. There were reportedly over 20,000 reptiles and amphibians, most captured from their native lands. In all there were over 500 species involved.

Global Exotics, now shut down, was formerly owned by one Jasen Shaw. There is currently a warrant out for Mr. Shaw, a native of New Zealand, for violation of the Lacey Act, smuggling and conspiracy; if you have information about his whereabouts, please all our local USDA at 817-334-5202. A link to a copy of the Wanted poster will be on the blog.

Courtesy of SPCA of Dallas - Main room for rescued animals

Much like the problems with factory farms and abattoirs, the problem is demand. This is a lucrative business and the callous-hearted who fail to recognize the personhood of animals or even have a shred of respect for other life forms are not bothered by the practice. High death rates are expected in the trade; indeed, the dismal conditions at Global Exotics were not considered a violation of federal standards, but rather violated Texas laws. This is a lucrative business, upwards of $20 billion per year, with an individual Siberian tiger going for $70,000 and a chimp for as much as $50,000. Many of these animals are later abandoned, sometimes at zoos, where they are usually euthanized due to the difficulty of their adapting to another stressor and another environment.

Zoonotic diseases pose such a serious health risk to the community that several health experts recommended destroying the building that USGE used to house the animals. According to experts, at least one in three reptilse harbor salmonella and shigella. Primates harbor many diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Macaques have the herbes B virus. Other animals harbor chlamydia, hepatitis A, rabies, ringworm, tuberculosis, measles, monkey pox, marburg virus, molloscum, contagiosum, dermatphytosis, candiddiasis, treptoghricosis, yab virus, campylobacteriosis, klebsiella and amebiasis; as well as infections from various nematodes, cestodes and arthropods.

Only three workers were responsible for the care for the 27,000 animals.  Reportedly 26,411 were siezed, with another 4,000 dying after rescue. The final toll, after being moved to the rescue warehouse and later to receiving sites around the nation, is unknown. Animals were found living in their own waste, extremely stressed, dying, dead, and cannibalizing one another. Some had stopped eating and died of starvation. Others seemed to have gone mad. It was truly a warehouse of horrors.  Luckily, the Dallas SPCA had a vacant building, soon to become their new facility, which was quietly equipped to care for the animals in the interim, until they could be placed in zoos, sanctuaries, and rescue facilities. Because of their exotic nature, most were unavailable for individual adoption.

The smuggling of these animals into the country is yet another horror.  They have been found with beaks and mouths taped shut, claws bound, in cylindrical tubes, in socks and other tiny horrors, smuggled out in the underwear of some beefy man.  One man had animals in his groin that started moving about – causing, pardon the pun, quite a stir. Another let four birds of paradise loose in the customs office – the birds all died. Another man transported live cobras in his pants; they also died enroute. One man used his prosthetic leg to smuggle a host of animals through customs; another was caught with primates in his pants. As if a long distance flight is not uncomfortable enough, try it the way these poor creatures must endure it. A recently arrested man had ten cobras and fourteen geckos taped to his chest and legs.  Many, many die in transit, but it is still worth it for the large sums of money resulting from the ones that survive and can be sold.  And if the smuggling is uncovered, the fines and penalties are rather mild, which further encourages the practice.

The exotic animal trade does not just provide animals for zoos, pet stores, and homes. They also provide animal parts for delicacies, soups, concoctions that are supposed to cure any number of ailments.  Many turn up on the plates of those who want an exotic meal. Some are skinned and boiled in broth after enduring horrendous treatment for weeks on end. With species going extinct on a daily basis, this is just further disrespect for the beauty, diversity, and magnificence of the natural world. It is a brutal all out assault on our fellow creatures and one that needs to stop and yet is a commercial enterprise around the globe.

What can you do? Avoid shopping at any pet store that carries living animals. While they may be delightful to see, the truth is often horrifying. What you do not see is what happens to those that are sick, the ones in the back room left to die. What you do not see are the thousands that die, suffer and are stressed by transport, not to mention the many that will die once placed in a home.

This, while horrifying, is akin to what happens to animals used for food on a daily basis, and in much larger numbers.  They too live in squalid, confined conditions with inadequate care and attention, unable to be who they were meant to be or live how they were meant to live.  The commodification of exotic pets is exactly the same as the commodification of most of the other animals on the face of the earth, whether dogs, cats, birds, lambs, pigs, cows or chickens.  They all feel, they all want to live. Regulations are not working; more animals than ever are suffering and dying. It is only with a shift in thinking towards respect for all life that things will change. Please learn about the Abolitionist Approach and please consider going vegan.

If you watch some of the videos of the squalid conditions as USGE, be sure to see some of the rescued animals, too. And be sure to go vegan if you are not already.  Look deeply into the eyes of the animals on those videos, and then look deeply into your own soul.

One of the consequences of the exotic animal rescue was to challenge the minimal resources of the local SPCA.  Since the economic downturn, most shelters are experiencing dire situations with a dearth of donations, volunteers and fosters for the animals. If you have room in your heart or home, please consider helping your local shelter or adopting an animal.

~~~~~~

One blog worthy of your viewing time is Mylene Ouellet’s My Face is On Fire. Mylene minces no words in her blog about consumerism and the ethics of choice. As an abolitionist vegan, she never spares the spotlight from anyone who is proving a disservice to the world of nonhuman animals. Better still, she is just starting a new podcast by the same name, which will be on iTunes.  If you want to learn more about Mylene and her work, check out the profile which will soon be on Veganacious (look for it around June 10, 2010).

Dallas News with WANTED poster

ABC News - U.S. Smugglers Hot for Exotic Animal Parts

NY Times - Wildlife Smugglers Test Their Skills

Examiner – Exotic animal rescue

Newsweek’s slideshow – exotic animal trade

My Face is On Fire

Save Me by Remy Zero

Recently I received a notice from one of the documentary organizations to which I subscribe relating that they were celebrating a recent Supreme Court ruling. That ruling overturned a law that had prohibited anyone from profiting from films showing cruelty to animals. Documentary filmmakers were concerned that the law, being so broad, might have made it difficult for them to make the ilms they want to make or cover the topics they want to cover.Others, especially animal lovers, disparaged the ruling and feared a resurgence in crush videos, films of small animals being crushed under a woman’s high heels as a sexual fetish. The man challenging a conviction under the federal law had been making videos of dogfighting and profiting from them, feeding the public’s appeitite for gratuious violence. Here is what the International Documentary Association said in their notice:

Your IDA, along with Film Independent (FIND), the Independent Feature Project (IFP) and the Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA), filed an Amicus Brief to help the Court understand the threat to documentary filmmakers. The case involved a documentary filmmaker by the name of Robert J. Stevens, who had included clips of a legal Japanese dog fight in a film he produced. The government did not argue that Stevens shot the film or was even present at the shoot. Since dog fighting is illegal in the United States, Stevens was arrested, tried and sentenced to 37 months in federal prison–a term longer than Michael Vick received for actually participating in dog fights in the United States. Whatever one might think of Mr. Stevens and his films, the threat to filmmakers had to be removed. That is when IDA stepped in.

As both someone involved with documentary films and someone who is an abolitionist animal rights proponent, this ruling brought up many conflicting considerations. I have no background in law but do have a background related to the criminal justice system. I well know that often, judges are called upon to make legal rulings that may offend their personal beliefs.  This was an 8-1 ruling, so it was very clear cut in the Court’s collective mind. The argument was that the federal law banning depictions of animal cruelty was too broad and ran afoul of First Amendment Rights. The Court continued to support, however, limitations with respect to the First Amendment when it came to child pornography and obscenity.

National Public Radio (NPR) wrote a brief supporting the majority position of SCOTUS, and many animal advocates voiced their ire and threatened to quit supporting NPR. While their position is understandable, one wonders how many of those irate readers are vegan. HSUS wrote a brief to support the law, yet they do not promote veganism within their organization, most likely to avoid offending donors. Two of the most heart-wrenching categories of animals — puppies and small furry creatures like kittens — are often used by the major animal protection organizations such as PETA and HSUS to garner funding from their members. PETA claims that about half of their members are not vegetarian, not to mention vegan, and HSUS is not even counting. One of the problems in the Court (SCOTUS) ruling is the moral confusion that is in evidence; it is clearly a problem of one type of animal abuse being unacceptable while many other kinds are acceptable. This confusion is further increased by those who claim to be animal advocates while not taking a stand for all the animals in all situations.  The idea of belonging to an organization is appealing, but the real work must be done at the grassroots level, working to educate people about how their own behaviors impact animals.  By supporting organizations that own stock and partner with some of the worst animal exploiters, corporations like KFC, Tyson, and pizza companies Papa Johns and Dominoes, we only further the public’s moral confusion which only hurts animals. Did you see the recent publicity about the vegans marrying at a KFC? At a place that sells animal flesh – talk about moral confusion!

As long as animals are treated as commodities, as long as they are the property of human beings of various levels of character, they will be as vulnerable as those innocent creatures in crush videos and dogfighting films. Animals as property – that is the real supreme injustice.

NPR article

IDA article

Supreme Podcast

Lex Appeal Podcast

Killing Me by Lloyd

]]> http://veganacious.com/2010/05/19/supreme-injustice/feed/ 2 http://veganacious.com/2010/02/24/only-1-3/ http://veganacious.com/2010/02/24/only-1-3/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:28:31 +0000 veganacious http://veganacious.com/?p=4510

We share an estimated 98.7% of the DNA with our brethren, the chimps and bonobos.  These highly intelligent, sensitive social animals are our closest cousins in the tree of life.  But what a difference that 1.3% makes in respect and viability.  So many chimps end up as inappropriate pets, in the entertainment industry, or in the medical labs. If they are lucky, they might have a few years in a sanctuary, but that is still a confined life and not the one they were designed to live.  Even those who live in the wild have dismal odds of surviving for long without capture or murder. They face diminishing habitat, callous disrespect, and an uncertain future. Because of our choices as humans, so do we.

The Animals Are More Like Us Than We Knew

Declining numbers and habitat are both taking their toll. What is it about that 1.3% of DNA that allows humans the hubris of thinking we are so divine? It is certainly not our capacity for compassion or sensitivity – no sensitive, compassionate creature could wreak the havoc we wreak on one another and on the animals each and every day. Genocide, war, deforestation, animal agriculture, racism, sexism, are all part of this legacy of uniformity. It is deadly.

We are also learning that other species are much more complex than we had thought.  Fish have been proven to have sensitivity and the capacity for sentience and compassion.  A recent video of a dog rescuing another dog from the busy freeway, after it was struck by a car, rather proves the point (see link below). If indeed we humans are going to claim to be the top of the animal kingdom or food chain, I would suggest we start behaving like it. One does not get privilege without responsibility — yet that is exactly the position many humans claim. How can we regain some of our lost moral footage? We should treat other beings the way we wish to be treated, if we claim that as the single defining principle of our civilization and spiritual beliefs; to claim that only for humans is speciesist.  Here are a few other suggestions:

1. Go vegan and educate others.
2. Fight for maintaining wild areas and animal habitats
3. Learn all you can about the current world situation for animals – watch Earthlings and The Cove, view The Future of Food and Food, Inc.
4. Avoid supporting any industry that exploits animals – and let the corporations behind them know why.
5. Increase demand for animal free products by talking to store and restaurant managers, writing letters to corporations, and supporting the vegan products they do carry. Thank them when they increase their vegan offerings.

A Growing World Vegan Population

If the world vegan population is now 3%, and we each can educate and awaken one other person each year, that 3% would be 6% next year, 12% the next, and 24% the next.  Then it is 48% and 96% – at each step along the way, our collective numbers would save lives, improve health, preserve the earth, and change attitudes towards other life forms. We could change the entire world picture in only five years.  Looking at the number of vegan blogs, on Twitter and Facebook, it would appear our numbers are already beginning to swell.

Okay vegans, start talking– We are running out of time.  Our fellow earthlings, whether they share 98.7% or very little DNA with us, are worthy of their lives and our effort on their behalf. It not only helps the animals, it improves the animals within our own skins, too.

BBC News Article, 2003

Dog Rescues Another Dog

Pain and Sensitivity in Fish

My older sister and her family were never much for animals.  In fact, when her daughter’s bird died, her comment was, “oh, good, I do not have to feed it any more.”  To make matters worse, her husband is highly allergic to animal fur and dander.  I never thought the day would come when my sister would have an awakening, but the animals of the world had much in store for her. I know she has fallen in love with at least five creatures, loved and cherished them each.  They all found her, too, when she wasn’t looking. Critter, Ed and Buddy all have their own stories, dogs who found a home under impossible circumstances – but their stories are for another day. Animals can do that to you, sneak up to your well-protected heart and climb right in, even when there is a “No Vacancy” sign clearly displayed there.

Friends of theirs who were leaving for New Zealand had asked them to adopt their dachshund; she had papers and there had been generous offers, but they wanted a home where she would be happy. She had already claimed her new family, even sleeping on their sleeping bags on campouts.  The pup was affectionate, small, and peppy, so my sister thought it would be fun. Bijou, as she had been named, became an accompaniment on many of the road races my sister and her family participated in.  She could run faster than the wind and had the stamina of a camel. I was always amazed that such a tiny creature could be so determined and so speedy! For an ankle-high canine, she was able to become a part of their family, despite her obvious height restrictions. And her nearly hairless body did not pose so much distress for my brother-in-law.

Molting

One day my sister heard Bijou barking up a storm in their yard, which was out of the city in the peaceful Ojai Valley.  She rushed out, only to find a small iguana swimming in her pool!  My sister promptly got the pool strainer and rescued the beast, with Bijou barking all the while. This was the dramatic entrance of a tiny, scaly creature that was destined to win my sister’s heart.  He was about six inches long, scaly and green.  Not sure what to do about this intruder, my sis set to work to find out if he might be missing from somewhere nearby, to no avail.  She then began researching how to care for her new houseguest, who was soon to become a family member.

The iguana got through where no one else had. My sister became intensely attached to its welfare and dedicated her downstairs bathroom (sorry, guests!) to it.  Her hubby initially made a large wire cage for it, but after a while, the iguana was too large and too bored with it, so it took over the entire room.  The iguana required a lot of heat; they need to be kept at about 90 degrees in order to sythesize their food properly. I hesitate to think what their heating bills were, but that room was the warmest in their entire house. And the iguana must have been healthy, because it grew absolutely HUGE – now almost five feet long! The bathroom had windows, so he was free to look out at all the greenery outside their home.  Best of all, he was safe.

This iguana has been through a lot of adventures, despite living indoors.  They named it Jack, but came home following a luncheon to find 43 eggs had been laid! Hello Jackie, Good-bye Jack! She got free from her harness in the wintertime at one point; my sister was sure she would perish because it gets mighty cold in the valley in winter.  But the neighbors called, and reported she had fallen from their tree into a pile of bricks.  My sister went to retrieve her, thinking they were bringing her home to die.  Surprisingly, after a bit of a patch up, she was fine. Her wanderlust seemed to cease after that, and she was content to roam about her room and the rest of the house (with my sister of course) for the duration. She gets outside for the occasional sunbath too. (See photo)

Enjoying the sun

Jackie is now well over a decade old and quite healthy. Her diet consists of a lot of greens and a few carefully selected vegetables and treats. She practically leaps on you if you approach her with a pancake piece. Other than the vet patching her up a time or two, she has been relatively problem-free.  So many young iguanas never grow to their full size due to limitations of diet and environment, ignorance of pet owners, and being killed outdoors by cats and dogs.  To learn how to properly care for your iguana, should you live with one, please check out this Green Iguana Society website for further information. With the proper environment, iguanas can live long, healthy lives with human guardians to keep them safe.

Outside Jackie’s room is a sign that reads, “Beware: Attack Iguana.” And she has attacked, too, right through an entire family’s defenses (along with those canine pals I mentioned). If you were to visit her family, you would be allowed to see her under my sister’s watchful eye – she is a member of family after all. I am not sure how much longer Jackie will live, but most captive iguanas do not live very long, although they can live for over two decades with proper care. When a certain small iguana took a dive into a swimming pool, she selected just the right one, with just the right barking dog to welcome and save her. Pretty clever, those iguanas….

One evening as a newlywed, my  husband called me from work and said that he was bringing home a rescued puppy.  This puppy, said he, was very sweet and had been treated abysmally. He had heard that the rescuer was searching for a home and of course he could not turn the pup away.  So I prepared a little box for the pup, stuffed it with comfy old blankets, and awaited the inclusion of our new family member.  It was a long evening until the pup arrived, and I finally gave up and went to bed.

Slurp! I got a lick from a giant tongue on my face as I was quickly awakened by a monstrous-sized dog. Some pup! This was a half-husky, half shepherd mix that was one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen.  Despite his enormous size and paws, he was a very gentle young dog.  However, the little box appeared ludicrous compared to his enormity, and I knew I had been hoodwinked. But it worked.

Pete had a golden color and longer hair than a shepherd, more like a collie but solid golden.  The fur near his chest was proud and bold, and his ears were upright and attentive. If ever there existed a dog who was loving and appreciative, but filled with spirit, it was Pete. The picture that most captures the younger me in a happy, relaxed state is one with Pete. He brought happiness along with those enormous paws.

Another late evening (I was catching on by now), I received another call from my husband relating that he had found another little critter for me to adopt.  This one was a newborn kitten, and by newborn, I mean newborn as in left wet without the umbilical cord being cut.  My husband stumbled across him while working as a night watchman (he was a student at the time). He did not believe the poor little thing had any chance at all for survival, so he threw him in the water by the dock. To his amazement, the kitten started swimming.  Still believing that the kitty could not make it, he got a mop and held him under, thinking he was sparing him a slower death.  But the kitten bobbed up and started swimming again, so he scooped him up and brought him home, complete with instructions that the kitty needed to be fed every hour round the clock. He said if that kitty wanted to live that badly, he was going to give him the chance.

We used a toy baby’s bottle, made a hole in it, and fed the kitten goat’s milk.  I kept him on a warmed bed beside me and fed him hourly, round the clock.  I had to rub his tummy gently with my finger to help him expel waste.  This was some very intense bonding between Skeet, the kitty, and me. Pete was pretty interested in what was going on in the box, but he only peered inside and never touched the kit at all. As the kitten grew, Pete would raise up on his hind legs to catch a peek at him; before long they were sharing food dishes and playing together gently. Skeet was understandably attached to me and would stay at my side most of the time.

Pete had a very large fenced yard in which to roam at the time we brought him home. The six-foot high fence, however, could not contain him. I would see him circling around and around, until he would build up enough momentum to clear the fence. We then put up wiring on top of the fence. I recall looking out and seeing Pete looking like a mountain goat walking on the top of the fencing. No matter how many walks he went on, he yearned for more space. Eventually, despite our own broken hearts, it seemed kindest to give it to him. We found some people through friends that owned a large ranch in Northern California and they happily took Pete with them. Last we heard, he was in heaven with the large expanse of acreage and nature around his new home.  We were not destined to be his permanent guardians; we were his transition.

Skeet was another story. He wanted nothing more than to stay very close to me, forever. That is what I wanted, too. But we had to move at one point, and Skeet found that very difficult. We kept him indoors in the new house, but couldn’t find him anywhere. After a long search, he was discovered in a kitchen drawer. Somehow he had squeezed in from under the cabinet. He took up the entire space and I still cannot believe he jammed himself in that drawer, but it must have felt safe to him. Just like abused kids, this abandoned, nearly killed little spirit was wounded and insecure; he needed containment.  To look at him, all you would see is the most common gray Tabby; you would miss the tremendous spirit that kept him alive.  He rewarded me for the devotion I gave him every single day of his precious life.  He was that kind of loyal. I once heard it said that heaven is having all the dogs you ever loved come running up to you, to keep that loyalty and affection forever. I would add to that, not just the dogs, but all the critters. That would truly be heaven….please consider rescuing a shelter animal.

Early one morning, I decided to capture the morning dew in the green belt, but before I even left the yard, this handsome chap was posing for me. If you notice, he seems to tilt his head ever so slightly and wait for me. I was able to take several shots before he left; he was a very patient subject.  I have noticed that because I get so excited when I find an interesting photographic subjects, the boys are beginning to get excited too. “Wow, this one is beaOOOtiful!”  I will hear them remark. Beautiful indeed.

Notice the collar around his neck that appears almost studded by tiny gold dots, the transparency of his wings, the beautiful golden color of his antennae.  Here he is clinging to a post about 4′ high; how did he hop up so very high? How does such a fragile little creature survive in the world?  It is one blessing of being vegan; I no longer find other earthlings to be invisible. I appreciate them, and recognize what their life must be like, their struggle for existence, their importance to me and to the future.  A casual glance, and the green belt is quiet and still.  But a more careful look, and it is alive with birds, bugs, frogs, lizards, squirrels, snakes, geckos, cicadas, wasps. I can only imagine how alive it must have been before these homes were built. I hope there will be enough life left in the green belt for future generations of these magnificent animals to remain here.

Meetup director working at the sanctuary

On twenty-five wooded acres in Forestburg, Texas is an animal rescue and sanctuary called Serenity Springs.  Forestburg is steeped in old west history; but there are lots of untold stories right in the sanctuary. Our vegan meetup goes out periodically to try to render some assistance, so I had perused their website prior to my first trip out to see the animals. Despite the website photos,  I was ill-prepared for all the animals (well over one hundred) and their amazing guardian, Terry DeGaw. Terry has been at this game of tending her flock for nearly twenty years now. She is a compassionate woman whose kindness has allowed many animals to survive and flourish in a peaceful setting when others tossed them aside. Many of the animals had been abused and neglected, or nearly slaughtered, prior to coming to Serenity Springs, so Terry truly offers them a second chance. It also means her days are long and hard, but you will never hear her complain. There are dozens of water troughs and bellies that need to be filled, and animals that need grooming, nursing, loving, spoiling.  Terry does it all.

Buddy abandoned

Behind the beautiful serene setting and the happy and healthy animals, lies tragedy and suffering.  This is a photo of Buddy, a beautiful little miniature horse that was left by the side of the road with no way to care for himself.  But once in the care of Terry, he quickly filled out and today is a sweet and feisty young gelding.  Some of the animals came to Serenity Springs because their people got tired of them, or had to move, or felt they could no longer afford their care.  For Terry, this is a lifetime commitment.  The only day off she has had in the past nearly twenty years was to take two days off for surgery.  She does not do just the bare minimum, either. When we joined her in feeding the animals, it was not a fast process, because Terry chats with each one and checks anything that seems amiss.  To sponsor Buddy or one of the other animals, go here.

Buddy today

Gyro

Terry DeGaw

The Sanctuary is a 503c non-profit organization, but Terry is not receiving much help.  She does offer sponsorship for the animals and a few do have sponsors. The sponsors send a monthly check to provide for their animal and often send treats to make that animal’s life extra special. When I arrived and approached the Keystone Klan, a group of farm pigs, they started nibbling on my shoes and chatting at me; I think they were scolding me for not bringing them the oatmeal cookies their sponsor usually provides. Next time I will know better than to come empty-handed!  Terry has a large family to feed, and the recession has not helped out much since, like most non-profits, donations are down. There are always vet bills as you might imagine, and the feed bills, and then the bills the rest of us have to pay just to keep a roof over our heads. Terry has to deal with those as well.  To make ends meet, she takes on another job in the evenings, at the local hospice organization. Comforting others til the very end of a very long day is typical of Terry.

Along with numerous farm and pot-belly pigs, there are cats, dogs (including a three-legged dog that can run and keep up with the others), a peacock, several chickens and roosters, cows, horses (including a blind horse), two miniature horses, donkeys, goats, and a variety of fowl that live at the sanctuary.  Some of the horses are in large paddocks, others roam around the property, always staying near other animals or humans.  After grooming the horses and delivering hay to animals staying on a nearby property, it was feeding time. This is a long process, because there are so many animals to feed.  Terry knows each and every one by name and will proudly tell you their personal history, no different than any proud parent.

Potbellies

Keystone Klan

Calypso

Chacka and Kia

Jazzy Joe

Pig barn

Bogart

The sanctuary is aptly named, for there is a sense of peacefulness that permeates the area. There is so much Tender Loving Care that you can tell just by walking about that the animals are loved. The pigs have igloos, barns, and shelters along with water troughs, feed troughs, and swimming pools.  There is an area looks like a pig spa where several pigs seemed to enjoy splashing about. One little character was walking around with his igloo on top, doing a good impression of a turtle. There are lots of trees and shade from the sun in each paddock and pen. It is very clean and well kept, despite the lack of help.  The dogs roam about freely and the cats own the back porch, where they have multi-level housing.  Some of the cats are not very sociable, so Terry just gives them their space.  All of them, though, as with all of the animals, were so lovable and deserving of their lives.  I think the only animal on the property that is not getting enough attention and care is Terry herself.  Let’s change that if we can!

Ways to help

Even if it is not possible to sponsor an animal, please consider giving what you can.  A $10 donation from several people will really help with vet and feed bills.

Click here to donate via Capital One:

To vote for Serenity Springs to receive part of a $25,000 grant, please go here.

To donate to the sanctuary using PayPal, go here.

For more information about donating or volunteering, contact Terry DeGaw:

email her at  serenitysprings@wisewb.com or call (940) 964-2318

]]> http://veganacious.com/2009/09/04/serenity-springs-sanctuary/feed/ 2 http://veganacious.com/2009/06/20/thumper/ http://veganacious.com/2009/06/20/thumper/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:05:06 +0000 veganacious http://veganacious.com/?p=1539

My first pal in this world was a boxer name Thumper; he was the Adored One of my father.  I do not recall ever seeing my father show any emotion, except at the mention of his name.  He was the pick of the litter that  a champion wrestler, Sy Williams, had. Mr. Williams owned a local bar and grill which was only a couple of blocks from the office where my father worked, Case American, so my father had become friendly with Mr. Williams.  It was one champion finding another champ, a top-notch pedigreed pup.    When I was just a few months old, Thumper would accom-pany me around the backyard, picking up ripe peaches from off the ground, eating them until our skin itched and our tummies protested. We were true co-conspirators; he even allowed me to use his water bowl for wading purposes, and never shirked from my clumsy toddler efforts at affection.  My folks were surprised that he didn’t knock me over or react aggressively towards my toddler ways, as he was just a young pup himself.

When I was studying clinical psychology in graduate school, I had to work on a genogram (a relational family tree) of family history, going back several generations. When I queried my father about his memories of my childhood, he asked, “Do you remember Thumper?”  I answered I remembered the peaches, the water dish, and the itchy skin on the patio. My father had no other memories of me to share.  Thumper was paramount.

Sadly, Thumper contracted a deadly form of mange while left in a kennel when my father was out of state.  Despite repeated trips to the vet, Thumper did not recover. His health was going downhill quickly, and my father had to make the agonizing decision to have him put down.  I did not know at the time it was the beginning of the end – for my father’s sense of place in the family, for our family unity, for my feeling of safety. My parents ultimately divorced and my brief interlude with family and a good pal ended forever.  I wish, though, that I could thank Thumper for being so patient with me and giving me that time, short though it was.  It was one precious connection to my father, one thing we shared: we both loved Thumper.

Copyright © 2009 Veganacious. All Rights Reserved

What is the correct diet for a vegan pet owner to provide?  Do we err on the side of compassion for our companion animals and contribute to the demise of unknown animals by feeding them to our companions; or do we eschew all animal products and possibly endanger our companions by giving them a deficient
diet?  This is a dilemma, one worthy of scrutiny.  I started researching what it was I was actually feeding to my cat, a rescued cat that once again needed a home and was left with me.  Skitter, my current roommate, is your typical finicky cat – she loves chips but not fish.  And cat food? She abhors it.  I soon learned why.

What is in Your Pet’s Food?

I discovered that in the U.S. alone, the pet food industry generates over $11 billion annually.  It provides a huge market for slaughterhouse refuse such as intestines, udders, esophagi, tongues, beaks, feathers, bones, blood, lungs, ligaments, and may use animal parts that are considered unfit for human consumption. Carcasses of euthanized cat and dogs, some with flea collars containing sodium pentobarbital used for euthanasia, insecticides, diseased livestock, plastic ID tags, rotting supermarket waste complete with styrofoam trays and plastic wrap, cancerous body parts, and hormones are “rendered” in huge vats. Dead stock dealers pick up road kill and sell it to the rendering plants. Restaurant grease and garbage, entrails from dead stock removal, contaminated material from slaughterhouses – all are rendered. Pet food is not a tightly regulated industry; decisions are often made for profitability rather than for animal nutrition. Most pet foods contain by-products of meat, poultry and fish, with little consistency in the amount of nutrients that may be contained.   They may contain synthetic preservatives, which enhance the shelf-life of the product but not of the animals they feed.  Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene glycol and ethoxyquin are some that may be included, despite the fact that the chronic ingestion by our pets may not be safe.  Ethoxyquin is used although is has not been proven safe for pets.  Pet foods are not tested for endotoxins and mycotoxins can result from the poor storage of the grains which dominate most pet foods.

There is more: urinary tract problems in cat bladders are triggered and aggravated by diet.  Cat stones are becoming more and more common; this may also impact dogs. Most pet foods do not have high quality protein but use animal meal or animal by-products.  Some of the grains used are not highly digestible for your pets; in order to increase their palatability, animal fats are sprayed on the baked pet food which can be dangerous to ingest.  While plant sources may be safer, the pet food industry uses a profitable waste bin for slaughterhouse refuse —  our pets.

Finding Healthy Pet Food

In the past, after trying several expensive pet store brands of food, some highly recommended by my veterinarian, and having my cat turn her nose up at them, I was delighted to see she promptly ate the more natural brand I bought at Whole Foods Market after reading all the labels (Wysong brand).  The taurine level was higher than in any of the other brands (0.3), an ingredient that if deficient can cause blindness in cats.  Now I am researching several vegan or vegetarian pet foods, too, such as Vegecat,  Evolution, and Ami.  But even vegancats.com is now recommending feeding cats meat. Cats are considered obligate carnivores; one look at their teeth and that becomes apparent.  Dogs, however, seem more able to adjust to vegan diet without incidence. The ASPCA has taken a stand against veganism for cats. What do you think? Should a vegan pet owner buy commercial pet foods, make their own with or without meat or fish, or  insist on their pets going vegan? Go here to see a positive view of veganism in cats.  I am still not satisfied that I know the ethical answer, so it is back to more research; stay tuned for a later post

What is ethical?

First, we need to decide what the most ethical thing is to feed our cats (or dogs).  It needs to be as low on the food chain as possible.  Then, we need to find something healthy to feed to our pets that we can afford to buy for them. ( Go here to read a veterinarians’ research on pet food ingredients.)  I would be interested in knowing what experience, whether pro or con, other pet owners have had with vegan pet foods, especially for cats. Decide if you will give your cats a carnivorous, vegetarian, or vegan diet; or some combination thereof. How do you reconcile owning a carnivorous pet with being vegan?  How do you buy any product that uses animals when it is against everything you believe in as a vegan?  What is the ethical thing to do for all concerned? I am still caught in the quagmire — please cast your vote in our poll below: