And The Fight Goes On...

In my post yesterday, I forgot to thank everyone who has been coming to this blog regardless of the absence of posts in recent months and also those who continue to fight the good fight against cruelty to animals every single day. It never fails to amaze me how humans can simply disregard their lives as unimportant. It also never fails to amaze me how people hide behind anonymity to promote the virtues of the abuse and slaughter of animals. You'd think that they would put their name to their convictions but a comment on an old post on here, Slaughter of Dogs in Serbia, seems to dictate otherwise.

The comment is as follows and has been published to the post:

People are suffering more than dogs all over the world, but that doesn't concern you. It makes me sick how you people care so much about dogs, while people and children are starving. All that you just said is a bullshit. There are so many dogs on the streets of serbia, that it is unbearable. People are feeding them and sitting in cafes along with dogs. Serbia is destroyed by war and can't afford shelters for stray dogs, so what else can they do than kill them. Who needs that many dogs anyway.It is disgusting to see that many dirty stray dogs everywhere you go and stepping in their shit all the time. They are mating on the streets in pacs in a middle of a day, getting mad and dangerous to people and children. Dogs, actually , took over the streets of cities. I really don't care if they are all killed today, if you do, take them home with you and ask your government to take care of them.

First of all, I would like to point out that I fully understand that people suffer every single day from illness, abuse, abandonment and neglect. There are plenty of causes out there that I support in aid of the vulnerable and ill. However, the title of this blog should give the writer of this post an idea of what cause I am supporting here - giving a voice to a creature that often suffers at the hands of humans through no fault of its own. I choose to promote the plight of greyhounds so, no offence intended, if you do not like it then please read another blog.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and to throw their weight into the debate as they see fit. However, this comment is a prime example of the ignorance and complete disregard that has led to these problems in the first place. If the governments of countries have let the "problem" get out of hand then that still does not give them the right to relentlessly slaughter dogs. There has to be better solutions than that and I refuse to believe that there are not.

So, in short, to the anonymous poster who offered the above comment - thank you for proving to me that this blog still has a very real role to play in promoting the welfare of dogs everywhere and that there is still ignorance and abuse to fight against.

Please feel free to comment on posts and show your support, disagree, make requests for content, promote your own links and other such things. I can't promise I won't respond but, providing they are not spam, they will be published.

Seal Hunts: Help To Protect Another Beautiful Creature That Faces Slaughter

Although it's very rare that I focus on anything but the Greyhound here I wanted to make this post about the seal trade. Seals are still facing slaughter every day but there is a vote coming up to ban the trade in Europe. Please read the following and then click on the link to sign the petition:

This is it. We only have weeks left until the European Parliament votes on whether or not to ban trade in cruel seal products. This is a historic opportunity for the Parliament to save millions of seals from indiscriminate slaughter.

Join with me and thousands of others to make our voices heard on behalf of seals.

Please sign Humane Society International's petition to the European Parliament demanding a complete ban on all products from the commercial slaughter of seals. Click here

We are so close to stopping the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth — we can't stop now! The seals are counting on us.

Thanks!

Petition To Stop The Slaughter Of Animals For Pleasure

Just a quick post today. I received an email a couple of days ago about a petition that is currently online and desperately needs signatures. It is designed to end the killing of all living animals for pleasure. We all know that this goes on on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it really isn't highlighted as much as it should be today, largely because the media tend to ignore it. However, it is important that we all recognise that it exists and do something to stop it.

I've visited it today and signed it and there are only 92 signatures. Mine was the 93rd. Although there were only 30 signatures 3 days ago, there are still many more signatures needed to make a difference.

The petition ends on November 5th so please sign it at your earliest convenience and give these animals a voice. It can be found here.

Please link to this post or email it to anyone you think may want to sign. We need to raise awareness now!

Thank You To Animal Rights Groups

I was in my local town today and met two wonderful women and one wonderful man trying to get signatures for two petitions. They were campaigning for animal rights and, when I was there, they were getting a favourable response. However, on speaking to one of the ladies behind the table I soon found that they had been called "no better than Nazis" just before I got there. I found this absolutely disgusting given that they were only trying to stand up for what they believe in and make a difference in the lives of animals everywhere.

So, for the rest of us that do want to make a difference, thank you to them and all of the others that take their time to stand around in all weathers trying to garner awareness of the things we do not see or hear about all over the world.

I was really pleased to find that they actually had a flyer about stopping the greyhound slaughter on their table. It was printed by Greyhound Action and I will be having a good read of it a little later and blogging about it, along with all of the other leaflets I picked up! Keep on going guys - we're making a difference already!

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They were from the Tamworth Animal Rights Network, or TARN. The link there is their MySpace page. Please visit it and support their efforts to save animals.

Pedigree Dogs: The Horror Behind Breeding

I watched one of the most disturbing programs on TV last night. I don't usually watch TV because I'm usually busy working or catching up on the other stuff we all need to do to keep a household going and a roof above our heads. However, I found a story on the BBC website about it and decided to watch. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was one of the worst TV documentaries about the treatment of animals I ever watched.

The program dealt with the inbreeding of pedigree dogs and the horrific genetic effects they have on various breeds. It makes breeders look incredibly cruel and unbelievably blinkered in their views. They can't seem to see what they are doing to their dogs.

Now before I go any further, please note that I fully realise that not all breeders are the same and some realise the damage that inbreeding is doing to those dogs. They are the ones that do not inbreed and have their dogs fully checked out regularly. Some have stopped showing their dogs in protest. However, those that this story does apply to make me sick. Boxers with severe epilespy were still being used to breed from so their pups would also have that genetic trait. King Charles Spaniels had brains that were too big for their skulls and were in agony and yet were still used for breeding. When you look at pictures of the breeds today and compare them with some from the 1800s, it really becomes apparent that we are cosmetically changing them for the worse and enough is enough.

One fact that struck a chord was the Rhodesian Ridgeback - the breeders society in the UK advocated culling pups that were born without ridges at birth until recently.

I have done research on it today, extensive research (for those who will comment saying I have no idea what I am talking about) and I find practices thoroughly disgusting. However, don't just take my word for it. The BBC story can be found behind that link.

Update: How You Can Help The Fight Against Live Skinning

Just a quick follow up to the post I added yesterday about live animal skinning in China...

If you were as disturbed as I was about the live skinning of cats and dogs and unimaginable animal cruelty in China then you can now help lend your voice to the fight against such barbaric acts in another way. Of course there is the petition but if you are a member of the social networking site Facebook then you can also add your voice to the cause that has been set up against it on there.

The link to the cause is here: Stop Live Animal Skinning. I am fully backing this cause, along with my Stop The Greyhound Slaughter cause.

Please spread the message. oin if you are on Facebook but if you are not then please forward this to people that are members so they can add their voices. We need to do something now to stop this barbaric animal cruelty. There is no excuse for it so add your voice to the outrage today.

Help To Stop The Live Skinning Of Animals In China!!!

With the Olympics on the horizon in the very near future, China has come under scrutiny from various different angles. If it isn't the smog and air pollution then it's the human rights issues. However, I want to draw attention to something else. i want to draw attention to the barbaric treatment of animals.

Now any greyhound lover that has looked into the slaughter of greyhounds in Asia will probably know that greyhounds are skinned and eaten there. This may be horrifying but it is completely true. However, at least the greyhounds are dead before they do that. This may not sound like a plus point at all, but it is when you consider this next fact.

Did you know that 2 million, yes 2,000,000 cats and dogs are skinned alive for their fur every year. They then die in the most horrific way because they are not put out of their misery. They are instead left to die.

There is a petition that you can sign on the Care2 site. This is the direct link. Please please sign it as they are looking for 2 million signatures, one for every cat and dog treated in this barbaric way.

We must put a stop to it now!!! After all, could you imagine the two gorgeous creatures below with no fur? No? Neither could I. This brutality has to be stopped now so please support it... for the sake of all of our furry friends.

The Slaughter Of Dogs In Serbia

I received an email today about the attrocities occuring in Serbia at the moment - the local governments are slaughtering stray dogs for the sake of cleanliness rather than finding them homes. Although this doesn't directly concern greyhounds, I just wanted to spread the word because they really shouldn't be able to do this.

The petition intro says it best:

For the past few years, during the month of July, Serbian city of Novi Sad has been becoming one of the most popular destinations for music festival
lovers across the Globe. International music greats such as Prodigy, Billy
Idol, Lauren Hill, to name a few, have been performing for the thousands of
youth from across the globe, during the 4 days every July.

However what has been happening behind the public eye is a mass slaughter of
innocent stray dogs, all in the sake of so called Cleanliness for the city
of Novi sad, which has been organised by the city's mayor Ms Maja Gojkovic,
who in attempt to impress the festival goers with the city, committed this
dog massacre.

The stray dogs have been picked up by vans and taken to so called buildings
for the city's cleanliness and killed by having injections of detergent
injected straight to their hearts or the alternative way by being buried
alive.The same situation is in whole Serbia!!!This is an appeal to the UN&EU for help.

Please sign the petition. It can be found at this link.

In Memory Of Rusty

Something different for today's blog is definitely in order as a result of an eventthat occurred four years ago. A greyhound called Rusty was found barely alive in the Welsh mountains after being tourtured and shot after sustaining a toe injury that meant his greyhound racing career was over. Rusty is one of many, but he touched the hearts of all greyhound lovers that knew him or heard his story.

As such, he deserves a fitting memorial. This poem that was sent through to me by Trudy at Greytexploitations fits the bill perfectly. It is by Sue Stoddart and tells you everything you need, but probably don't want, to know:

His owners paid ten pounds to end poor Rusty's life,
His killer took the money, he didn't think twice.
He was raced three times that week with an injured toe,
Because of the injury, his racing times were slow.
His owners said, "get rid of him we can't do with this",
The trainer said "just leave him here, I will do the biz".
Poor trusting Rusty went along with this man,
He thought he was going home, and jumped into the van.
Little did he know this was to be his last day,
And that his poor mutilated body was to be dumped so far away.
With both his ears hacked off, a crude bolt gun to his head,
His killer turned his back, and left poor Rusty for dead.
A lonely walker found him lying in the grass,
It was poor Rusty's whimpering that stopped him walking past.
In spite of his misery and injuries he still continued to wag his tail,
Not once did he show aggression, or even admit a wail.
Even now he still showed trust in the human race,
The vet shook his head sadly, as he looked at Rusty's gentle face.
So the vet inserted the needle, that would end Rusty's suffering at last,
He knew his abuse was over, he would not have to remember his past.
But your death will not be in vain dear Rusty; we will keep your memory alive,
And your murderer has been caught and punished, and brought to the public eye.
So rest well dear Rusty, free from suffering and pain,
No more will you know abuse, or ever race again.

*Dedicated to Rusty, who was mutilated by Andrew Gough and left to die on a lonely welsh mountain on the 4th April 2004

You can find the full story at Stop The Greyhound Slaughter, but be warned that it does make for extremely gruesome reading in places.

Inspiration To Action

The chances are you will be out enjoying yourself at the start of 2008, and so you should be! After all, life is short so every new year should be celebrated with friends and family... but just spare a quick thought for the greyhound. As we celebrate life, the conditions that they live in do not give them much of one at all.

Greyhounds are required to produce as many puppies as possible if they are used for reproduction. From there, the puppies are fed the cheapest, worst food available. However, some do not get to sample it for long at all because any puppy that does not have what it takes to win races will be killed. This can happen at any point, and at any age. There is no information available about the number of slaughtered puppies, but estimates place it around the same figure, meaning that 40,000 are slaughtered every year, and that is in one country alone.

Education is the most powerful tool you can wield in an effort to end greyhound racing and the industry's cruel treatment of the animals that keep the industry going. They owe the dogs so much and yet deliver so little in return. All they want is love and a good home to relax in. Tell your friends about this blog, look up a few articles and email them on! Just spread the word and make 2008 a better year for the greyhound!

Happy New Year people, have a good one!