Best Vegetarian Recipes BlogWelcome to the Blog! Come here to find out about new recipe postings on the Web site and keep up to date on vegetarian, vegan and animal welfare news. May 13, 2010, Egg RecipesEgg Recipes Permalink -- click for full blog post "Egg Recipes" May 13, 2010, Egg Salad RecipeHow to make Egg Salad Permalink -- click for full blog post "Egg Salad Recipe" May 13, 2010, Chocolate Souffle RecipeHow to make Chocolate Souffle Permalink -- click for full blog post "Chocolate Souffle Recipe" May 13, 2010, Please help save animals like Remington Part 1Right now, inside the laboratories of the University of Utah (the U), dogs and cats—just like the wonderful animals who share our homes—are being subjected to painful, invasive, and often deadly experiments. Will you please work with us to stop the suffering of all animals in need by making an online donation right now? During the eight months that PETA's investigator spent inside the U's laboratories, she documented countless horrors. Kittens died after chemicals were injected into their brains. Monkeys—who had holes drilled into their skulls—were driven insane by laboratory conditions and were kept constantly thirsty so that they would do what the experimenters demanded. Mice were injected with cancerous cells in order to induce the growth of giant, painful tumors and were then left to die without veterinary care. These are only a few of the widespread instances of cruelty that we observed at the U. Many of the dogs and cats used in these experiments had been purchased from local animal shelters. They were condemned to a lifetime of physical and psychological suffering. The U exploited an archaic "pound-seizure law" that allowed it to use abandoned and lost animals as nothing more than a cheap source of living bodies to be cut open, poisoned, shocked, dissected, and then discarded like trash. After releasing the shocking results of our investigation to the public, PETA filed a lawsuit against Davis County demanding access to documents that would shed more light on the county's betrayal of both animals and members of the community, who were unaware that the dogs and cats they turned over to shelters could be cut open and killed in laboratories not far away. Local PETA supporters also answered our rallying cry and joined with University of Utah students to demand an end to the cruelty committed against the dogs, cats, and other animals confined to barren cages inside the U's laboratories, collecting signatures on a petition calling for an end to the state's shameful pound-seizure law. May 13, 2010, Exposed: the horrors of animal testingPart 2Right now, PETA is exposing and helping to end animal tests that would otherwise result in the death of countless individual animals. Vivisectors know how dedicated and far-reaching our work for animals in laboratories is: * Our shareholder resolutions targeting some of the largest chemical and pharmaceutical companies in the world are helping to educate investors and senior executives who might otherwise never hear about the plight of animals in laboratories or about alternatives to animal testing. * Our work with government policymakers is getting cruel tests canceled and is encouraging more of them to turn their backs on animal testing. * Our scientific journal articles, papers, and briefs on alternatives to animal testing are giving the next generation of toxicologists and physicians the news that they might not otherwise hear about simple, effective replacements for common animal tests. With each passing day, PETA is building more momentum to stop painful animal experiments before they ever have a chance to begin. But ending corporate and government abuse of animals in laboratories will not happen overnight. It is a fight that is continuous and one that we will some day win with the support of caring people like you. For the sake of all the animals who would otherwise suffer in silence, I hope you will stand with us today by making a special donation right now. May 13, 2010, Exposed: the horrors of animal testingPart 1Right now, in laboratories across North America, dogs, cats, monkeys, mice, rats, rabbits, and other animals are being subjected to crude, painful, and ultimately deadly experiments. PETA's fight for animals in laboratories began with our founding in 1980. And after winning a groundbreaking victory for them in 1981, we have been making major strides for these animals ever since. But our work for them is far from over. With the ever-growing popularity of cruelty-free products, it's easy for some consumers to think that product testing is rarely done anymore. They are wrong. Unilever, Dial, Clorox, Johnson & Johnson, and many other companies continue to fund cruel animal experiments even though superior non-animal test methods are available. For example, a lethal poisoning test developed nearly 100 years ago—in which animals are force-fed increasing doses of a chemical until they die—is still the single most common animal test in use today. When you consider that government-mandated tests kill more than 2,000 animals every single time they are conducted, you'll understand just how much suffering animal experimentation produces. Tests such as these cause both intense individual suffering and death on a massive scale—and can never be justified. PETA is making tremendous strides in preventing painful animal tests (also known as "vivisection"), in educating scientists and policymakers about the more effective non-animal testing methods that are already available, and in funding the development of new non-animal test methods. Yet despite our recent advancements, millions of individual animals are still being imprisoned and subjected to horrific cruelty behind closed laboratory doors. I urge you to donate online today and help provide the resources that we need to keep our critical work to stop animal suffering going strong. May 13, 2010, Urgent: The Pet Trade Uncovered Part 2Please help us save animals who are abused in this ghastly trade by taking two simple but important actions that will make a difference in the lives of so many animals: 1. Please sign our petition calling on the Minister for Food, Farming and Environment, to ban the sale of exotic species in the UK and prohibit their importation into the country. 2. Please make a donation today to help us end animals' misery by working to expose and shut down the global exotic animal trade and helping other animals who need our protection. The most important step any of us can take is to promise never to buy any animals from breeders or pet shops and to tell everyone we know, from schoolchildren to neighbours, why they should do the same. No animal is safe from the drive for profit, but those who are traded internationally to supply the demand for exotic pets are especially vulnerable. Please join us in asking the government to prohibit the sale of exotic species in the UK and to end their importation. PETA and our affiliates are doing more than anyone else to expose and stop the exotic-pet trade, which is responsible for the suffering of millions of individual animals each year. But if we are going to win our fight against this cruel and powerful trade, it will take a special commitment from PETA members like you. So please, make the most generous donation you can today. For the millions of individual animals we can help, thank you. May 13, 2010, Urgent: The Pet Trade Uncovered Part 1For seven long months last year, a PETA US investigator went undercover in the Texas warehouse of a massive international animal wholesaler called US Global Exotics (USGE) – one of the top dealers of animals who are sold in pet shops around the world. We have even been able to trace animals sold by this hell-hole to pet outlets right here in the UK. As a result of the investigation, authorities raided USGE, and more than 26,000 animals – including lemurs, wallabies, kinkajous, sloths, hamsters, mice, snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, frogs, spiders and others – were rescued. Thousands of animals were suffering from painful, untreated injuries and had been deprived of food and water for long periods. The animals confiscated from USGE will never again have to suffer at the hands of the cruel pet trade. The owner is apparently on the run from a federal warrant issued in connection with this case, and USGE has effectively been shut down – it has not bought or sold another animal since the raid! The warehouse signs are down, the doors are locked tight and a "for sale" sign sits on the property. This means that the investigation saved far more than 26,000 animals: hundreds of thousands more individual animals will now be spared the suffering of being bred in hellish conditions or stolen from their homes in the wild and shipped in horrible, terrifying conditions to USGE's nasty little death camp! Texas may seem far away, but could you imagine how much longer the journey must have seemed for the animals who were crammed into pillowcases, bags, tiny boxes, crates and even plastic bottles and shipped to other far-off countries as part of USGE's wretched business? Even though USGE's animal victims have been rescued, countless other animals in similar facilities are being packed into sweltering crates and beginning the impossibly stressful journey to other dealers and shops around the world. May 13, 2010, See the Real Face of the Fur IndustryMillions of individual animals, including more than 2 million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs, will be skinned for their fur in China this year alone. For a few of these animals, death will come swiftly from a knife slash across the throat. For many others, their fate is to be skinned alive. Please watch our new video exposing the abuse that animals on Chinese fur farms endure. Many people are still unaware of the horrific animal suffering that occurs on Chinese fur farms. We need your help to spread the word about the following facts: 1 There are no regulations governing fur farms in China—farmers can house and slaughter animals however they see fit.2 Countless animals are skinned alive on Chinese fur farms. Some of these animals remain in agony for more than 10 minutes after the skin is peeled from their bodies.3 Fur farmers say that it is easier to get the skin off an animal who's alive and warm than one who's dead.4 Products ranging from cat toys to shoes have been made from real fur and have been labeled as "faux" or synthetic to deceive the public. Our campaign is educating people worldwide about the abuse of animals by the Chinese fur industry. May 13, 2010, Please help save animals like Remington Part 2Here's the good news: Thanks to PETA's exposé and the e-mails, letters, and phone calls from thousands of compassionate supporters that followed it, an overwhelming majority of Utah legislators recently voted to amend the law so that government-run animal shelters will no longer be forced to sell dogs and cats to laboratories for use in cruel experiments. Just days after Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed the bill, Davis County Animal Services—which runs the shelter that was supplying the U with most of the dogs and cats it was using in experiments—announced that it will no longer participate in pound seizure. In response to our formal complaint, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted its own investigation and has now cited the university for nine violations of federal animal protection laws. The citations against the U include causing a kitten to die from dehydration, performing surgery on a rabbit's eyes without proper approval, and failing to provide adequate pain relief to a monkey after surgery, among others. The U has made a public statement to the effect that it considers these violations—and I invite you to reread them—trivial! That's what we are up against. So the federal government, which is never one to move very quickly, has now confirmed what PETA found: Animals are neglected, dying, and suffering terribly in these laboratories. The agency has now ordered the university to take steps to stop such indefensible cruelty to animals. The success of PETA's tireless work to stop the suffering of animals behind firmly locked laboratory doors depends on one thing—the support of dedicated members like you. For the sake of all animals, including those shivering in tiny cages or strapped to a cold steel table facing the point of a scalpel or the end of a cranial drill, please give generously today. Thank you. May 13, 2010, Speak Up: Help Ban the Import of Animals for the Exotic Pet TradeBy now, you know about how animals are exploited and abused in the international pet trade. As you read this, countless animals are being packed into stiflingly hot crates and beginning the impossibly stressful, terrifying journey to warehouses around the world. A PETA US investigator found that most of the animals who were bought and sold by US Global Exotics (USGE) – which was one of the world's biggest sellers of exotic "pets" – were wild-caught. This means they were trapped and torn away from their native habitats; crammed into boxes, pillowcases, crates, bags and even bottles; and forced to make harrowing, days-long journeys across continents, only to be forced to endure more suffering upon arrival at USGE. There is something important you can do today to help end the suffering of animals in the international pet trade. You can urge the UK government to make changes that will benefit animals.Please sign our petition calling on the Minister of State for Food, Farming and the Environment to ban the importation of live animals for the pet trade and to end the sale of all exotic animals as "pets". I would also like to remind you never to buy animals from breeders or pet shops. No animal is safe from the drive for profit, but those who are traded internationally to support the demand for "exotics" are especially at risk. We must end the misery of these animals by shutting down the global exotic animal trade. Thank you for your activism and for your caring support in behalf of these needy animals! May 13, 2010, Ringling Beats Baby Elephants Part 2PETA has long known—and these photos prove beyond any doubt—that the only way that trainers can get such enormous, powerful animals to submit to their commands is by subjecting them to a never-ending regimen of physical and psychological cruelty that is designed to inflict pain and fear. Ringling's training tools—ropes, chains, bullhooks, and even electric-shock devices—are used to apply force. And it begins when the elephants are only months old—often while they are still nursing. PETA is working hard to get elephants off the road and to shut down circus acts that use animals. We're filing formal USDA complaints; reaching out to teachers, principals, and superintendents to urge them never to take field trips to the circus; and running ads and billboards that are seen by millions. We are doing more than any other organization to convince national and local businesses to drop their sponsorship of circuses. Circuses are desperate for this support, and we are cutting it off. Now that PETA has obtained new, clear, and shocking proof of Ringling's cruelty, we need to push even harder to end the abuse. At every stop along Ringling's tour, we need to get this evidence in the hands of the local media, law enforcement authorities, prosecutors, and corporate sponsors. We need to constantly monitor and document Ringling's treatment of its animals and turn out community activists to show that such blatant cruelty to animals is not welcome in their cities. This requires significant resources, but there is no other way to help these animals. So I hope you will support PETA today and help us fight for elephants and all other animals who are enslaved and suffering at the hands of Ringling and other abusers. Thank you. May 13, 2010, Ringling Beats Baby Elephants Part 1Can I count on your support today to help sustain PETA's fight for animals under the big top and anywhere else that they are mistreated and abused? What circuses such as Ringling Bros. have told the public for years about the way they train elephants is a lie. And PETA can prove it! Sam Haddock, a former elephant trainer who worked for Ringling, provided PETA with exclusive photos of the secret, violent, and cruel training methods that Ringling has used on helpless baby elephants. These photographs are shocking, and they fly in the face of all the false claims that Ringling has made to the media and the public about its training and care of elephants. Now, armed with this explosive new evidence, we need to turn up the heat in order to end Ringling's cruel circus acts and free these wonderful animals from their involuntary and miserable lives of servitude. Ringling's treatment of baby elephants is even more shocking when you compare these animals' lives as unwilling props to the full and rich lives of elephant babies in the wild. Elephants can walk up to 30 miles with their families every day in their native habitats. They are highly intelligent, loving, and social animals who have a complex system of communication. Led by the oldest female—the matriarch—elephant families enjoy very close bonds. They show deep loyalty and affection and are fiercely protective of their children. What they don't do is wear clothes, stand on their heads, climb onto tubs, or twirl in circles. That's because, in the wild, no one beats them or electro-shocks them in order to make them do these nonsensical things over and over and over again. Apr 28, 2010, Cheese Souffle RecipeHow to make Cheese Souffle Permalink -- click for full blog post "Cheese Souffle Recipe" Apr 28, 2010, Apple Souffle RecipeHow to make Apple Souffle Permalink -- click for full blog post "Apple Souffle Recipe" Apr 14, 2010, How to prepare cabbageRemove the outer coarse leaves, cut the cabbage in four pieces lengthways, and well wash the pieces in salt water. The salt is added because it kills any insects which may be present. Wash the cabbage as often as is necessary in pure water after this to clean it and remove the salt, and then shred it up fine. Set it over the fire with ½ pint of water, 1 oz. of butter, a dash of pepper, and a very little salt. Let it cook very gently for 2 hours; when it is quite tender, the liquid can be thickened with a little fine wheatmeal; smooth this with a little milk, or water if milk is not handy; boil it up, and serve. Apr 14, 2010, How to prepare LeeksRemove the coarse part of the green stalks of the leeks. If the leeks are gritty cut them right through and wash them well, and if necessary use a brush to get out the sand. Tie the leeks in bunches and steam them until tender, which will take about 1-1/2 hours. Make a white sauce as for the cauliflower. Put the leeks on pieces of dry toast on a flat dish, pour the sauce over them, and serve. Apr 14, 2010, How to prepare SpinachWash the spinach thoroughly, and set it over the fire in a saucepan without any water, as enough water will boil out of the spinach to cook it. Heat it gently at first, stirring it a few times to prevent it burning, until enough water has boiled out of the spinach to prevent it from catching. Let the spinach cook 20 minutes, then strain it through a colander, pressing the water out with a wooden spoon or plate. Put a piece of butter in the saucepan in which the spinach was cooked; when melted, stir into it a spoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, and keep stirring the meal and butter for 1 minute over the fire. Return the spinach to the saucepan, mix it well with the butter and meal, and add as much of the strained-off water as is necessary to moisten it; add pepper and salt to taste, and a little lemon juice. Let the spinach heat well through before serving. Have ready 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs cut in slices, and decorate the spinach with them. Use 1 oz. of butter, an even tablespoonful of the meal, and the juice of ½ a lemon to 4 lbs. of spinach. Apr 14, 2010, Vegetarian Savouries RecipesVegetarian Savouries Recipes Permalink -- click for full blog post "Vegetarian Savouries Recipes" Apr 14, 2010, French Bean Omelet RecipeHow to make French Bean Omelet Permalink -- click for full blog post "French Bean Omelet Recipe" Apr 14, 2010, Bred to Death – Help the Victims of the Dog-Breeding Trade 2There is no need for breeders to be in business at all. Any refuge or shelter for homeless animals can attest that there are already too many dogs and too few good homes to put them in. According to alarming recent statistics, more than 100,000 dogs were found wandering on Britain's streets last year – a massive 11 per cent increase over the previous figures. Breeders and pet shops only exacerbate a situation that is already out of control. Tossed aside like last year's fashion accessory by uncaring people or rejected by breeders, thousands of dogs also end up confused and depressed in animal shelters. Some will be lucky enough to be adopted into loving homes, but there are far more animals in need of a home than there are people willing to provide them with one. Last year, 9,000 healthy dogs were euthanised by local authorities, not including those animals who were euthanised in animal shelters. Many others are suffering the fate of being warehoused in an animal shelter – where they will stay, sad and confused. We are fighting hard against the root causes of the animal overpopulation crisis by shining the spotlight on the many thousands of animals who are already desperately waiting for loving homes and by encouraging everyone always to adopt and never to buy from breeders or pet shops. But responsible animal guardianship doesn't stop there – with animal shelters already near full capacity, we urgently need to promote the need to spay or neuter animal companions. Britain's animal shelters cannot accommodate the next generation of abandoned animals! Apr 14, 2010, Bred to Death – Help the Victims of the Dog-Breeding Trade 1The commercial puppy-breeding trade is a cruel business in which pedigree dogs are bred to fit exacting standards – which can cause painful disabilities – and are often sold for many hundreds of pounds each to people who have no idea exactly what they are supporting. Puppies and their mothers are often subjected to abuse and neglect at the hands of greedy and unscrupulous breeders who sometimes even operate illegally . Some dogs go without adequate food, water or veterinary care . Female dogs are treated as if they were puppy-making machines, and can be pushed to the limit to produce litter after litter. When their bodies are too worn out to produce profitable offspring, many find themselves discarded or even killed . One problem with pedigree dogs is that they often suffer painful, crippling health problems, including arthritis, epilepsy, diabetes, cataracts, heart problems and a shortened life span. These problems result from having been bred for unnatural physical traits such as squashed noses and long backs in the breeders' blinkered pursuit of perfection. We need your support to educate members of the public never to buy from breeders or pet shops and to help put an end to the dog-breeding trade. Apr 14, 2010, Canada's seals need your help today.The Canadian seal slaughter is the largest massacre of marine mammals on Earth! Every year, pregnant seals gather on the ice floes to give birth to their pups. Small and unable to fend for themselves, the pups are totally dependent on maternal protection during the first few months of their lives. They lay on the ice close to their mothers, waiting until they are old enough to be able to take their first plunge into the relative safety of the sea and swim amongst other seals. As a direct result of our work and that of other animal protection groups, the seal product ban passed. But the sealers are also waiting, armed with guns and clubs with which to shoot or bludgeon the defenceless baby seals in order to sell the babies' soft fur for a few dollars on the international fur market. PETA has played a fundamental role in the call for an end to the annual slaughter. We work at all levels, from high-street retailers to the European Parliament. Last year, dedicated PETA members and supporters like you sent more than 110,000 letters and e-mails to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) urging them to support a ban on the sale and import of seal products across the EU. The MEPs voted in favour of the ban, and as a result, two-thirds of the seals who had been slated for slaughter in the Canadian government's quota were spared as seal-fur prices plummeted. Although this is a historic and momentous step forward for seals, we must act now to step up our campaign as Canada's furriers look to new markets for seals' skins as far away as China. Apr 14, 2010, Help us save China's cats and dogsEvery year, millions of individual animals, including more than 2 million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs, are killed for their fur in China. Some of them are homeless, whilst countless others are companions who once shared homes with people who loved and cared for them. Some of the cats and dogs are still wearing their collars when they are rounded up – often grabbed by the neck with metal tongs – and tossed, screaming, into a crate. China is one of the world's largest fur producers, and more than 95 per cent of the country's finished garments are exported – with many ending up here in the UK and Europe. And as we now know, Chinese companies have been known to deliberately mislabel cat and dog fur as "Asian jackal", "raccoon" or "faux" to fool consumers. Every fur-trimmed collar or other fur item from China, regardless of the kind of animal who was slaughtered to manufacture it, is the product of cruelty on a truly massive scale. And we must combat it! We have to do everything we can to fight the international fur trade. Please show your support for animals who need your help by making a donation to PETA today. Shocking video footage obtained by undercover investigators shows that cats and dogs are beaten to death, strangled or drowned for their fur in China. Workers then hang the animals upside down and peel the skin off their bodies – sometimes whilst the animals are still alive. This sickening cruelty is carried out for the sake of fur coats, trim, lined gloves or even toys. We know that the fight against the fur trade is one we can win for animals if we push hard enough, long enough and vigorously enough. The tireless work of PETA and our affiliates to expose the true cost of every piece of fur has already helped convince some of the world's leading designers and retailers – including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren and Vivienne Westwood – to adopt permanent fur-free policies. With your help, we can work to ensure that animals, including dogs and cats who are treated like trash by the Chinese fur industry, don't suffer for their fur or for any other reason. Fur belongs to the animals who were born with it – it doesn't belong on jackets, hats, boots or purses. Killing animals for their skin is repugnant, intolerable and cruel. Together, you and PETA are the greatest hope for animals – animals who are shot or painfully trapped by hunters; who are bred to spend their entire lives languishing in tiny, barren cages on fur farms until the day they are anally electrocuted or poisoned; and who, like China's cats and dogs, are stolen from the streets and skinned alive. Apr 14, 2010, Please help animals who are suffering in the pet tradeRight now, PETA is doing more than any other organization has ever done to expose and stop the exotic-pet trade, which is responsible for the suffering of millions of individual animals every year. But if we are going to win our fight against this cruel and powerful industry, it will take a special commitment from PETA members like you. As you may remember from my recent e-mail, our undercover investigation led to the rescue of more than 26,000 animals from USGE's filthy Texas warehouse, where tens of thousands of animals—a handful of whom were bred in deplorable breeding mills and the rest of whom were trapped and stolen out of their wild habitats—were confined to dark, crowded boxes, bins, and soda bottles, which caused them intense physical and psychological distress. Thousands of animals suffered terribly so that USGE could make a profit selling them to distributors that supply pet-store chains such as PetSmart and PETCO. Hamsters were crammed by the dozens into litter pans. This resulted in fighting, cannibalism, wounds and infections that went untreated, and a steady stream of animal deaths. Hedgehogs were denied basic medical attention after sustaining life-threatening injuries such as having their limbs nearly severed (the animals' limbs hung on only by the skin!). Many sick or wounded animals were cruelly put in a freezer to die when company owners deemed them "unsellable." Thanks in part to PETA, all the animals taken from USGE are now safe. They have been placed in pre-screened homes with animal protection groups and have found refuge at the progressive Detroit Zoo and animal sanctuaries, where they are receiving top-notch care. Even though the animals rescued from USGE are safe, right now countless other animals are being packed into sweltering crates and are beginning the impossibly stressful journey to facilities that are every bit as cruel as USGE's. Places like USGE exist because companies such as PetSmart and PETCO continue to buy and sell animals. These companies don't sell dogs and cats and have recently caved in to pressure from PETA and others to stop selling rabbits—partly because they didn't want to be associated with the deplorable breeding mills that these animals came from. Now it's time for both companies to act in behalf of the other animals they buy and sell—the hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, snakes, frogs, lizards, and others who suffer just as dogs and cats do. PETA's investigation of USGE has punched a hole in the wall of secrecy that once sheltered the animal trade. Now is the time for us to increase our pressure on PetSmart, PETCO, and other major pet-store chains to get out of this ugly business forever. Apr 13, 2010, Cheese Omelet RecipeHow to make Cheese Omelet Permalink -- click for full blog post "Cheese Omelet Recipe" Apr 13, 2010, Portuguese Rice RecipeHow to make Portuguese Rice Permalink -- click for full blog post "Portuguese Rice Recipe" Mar 10, 2010, Curried Rice and Tomatoes RecipeHow to make Curried Rice and Tomatoes Permalink -- click for full blog post "Curried Rice and Tomatoes Recipe" Mar 10, 2010, Macaroni Cheese RecipeHow to make Macaroni Cheese Permalink -- click for full blog post "Macaroni Cheese Recipe" Feb 20, 2010, Say 'No' to the Proposed Postponement of the 2012 Battery Cage BanThe EU Agricultural Council is meeting on Monday, 22 February, to discuss a proposed delay to the EU-wide 2012 battery cage ban. Poland is seeking to postpone the ban until 2017. This is catastrophic news for hens who are forced to endure hellish conditions in battery cages on farms. PETA is urging Jim Fitzpatrick, Defra Minister of State (who is responsible animal welfare), to stand up and oppose Poland's proposal . Each year in the EU, approximately 300 million hens are crammed into filthy wire-mesh battery cages that are stacked tier upon tier in huge warehouses. Several birds are crowded into each cage, packed so tightly together that they are unable to spread even one wing. The birds suffer crippling leg injuries from standing on wire-cage floors 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until they are killed. The ban will not end all cages for egg-laying hens, because it allows the replacement of existing cages with "enriched cages" which have a little more space and more "facilities" for hens to pursue some natural behaviour. It will end some of the very worst abuses, however. The UK government has previously stated that it will oppose any postponement of the ban, and we must ensure that it sticks to that position. Worryingly, though, there is a suggestion that the UK may support a new provision that effectively allows some EU countries to keep cages so long as they do not export their eggs to countries which have implemented the ban. This may protect businesses, but it won't protect the tens of millions of caged hens who would continue to endure appalling suffering in countries that don't fully implement the ban. What You Can DoSend an e-mail to Jim Fitzpatrick , urging him to oppose the extension of a ban – not for business or economic reasons, but for the European hens who will be forced to endure five more years of torture should the proposal go through. Feb 20, 2010, Help close down the international fur trade Part 2Continued from part 1 • They go insane from boredom, and many bite and chew at their own flesh. Undercover investigators found an animal who had gnawed his own limb down the very bone. • Some animals who are kept together in cages fight and jostle for space, and sometimes only one survives. Cannibalism is not uncommon. • To prevent damaging the valuable fur, the farm workers will kill the animals by poisoning them, breaking their necks or using anal electrocution. Please support our work today. With your help, we can continue to fight against the abuse of animals and end the vile fur trade by educating consumers in Britain and around the world. We have a dedicated staff and an arsenal of tried and tested tactics – but in order to step up our vital campaign, we urgently need your help today. We have already turned countless consumers, designers and retailers away from using or buying fur by lifting the lid on the inherent cruelty of the fur trade. Through our use of unique, high-profile street demonstrations and celebrity ad campaigns such as "Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin" featuring Jamelia and by encouraging kind supporters like you to visit our website and take actions for animals, we are changing the fashion industry and the lives of animals everywhere. PETA is leading the worldwide fight against fur. Here is what The Observer had to say about us: "PETA is the only true political power influencing the fashion industry". More and more caring people are being alerted to the senselessness of animal abuse and the joys of compassionate living thanks to your support of PETA. On behalf of all animals, especially those confined and killed for their skins in all parts of the world, thank you. Feb 20, 2010, Help close down the international fur trade Part 1The fur trade is one of the cruellest industries on earth. Every year, millions of individual animals, including rabbits, minks, foxes and even cats and dogs, are mercilessly killed and skinned – often whilst they are still conscious – for an item of clothing! There is no excuse for wearing fur. With so many luxurious fur alternatives on the market and so many top-end designers and high street shops using high-tech modern fabrics, there is no reason why a single animal should be confined to a cage on a fur farm and slaughtered for the skin on his or her back. And yet some uncaring designers and fashion houses continue to use fur in their collections. Thankfully, fur farming is banned in the UK, but its sale is still permitted on your high street! You can help fight against fatal fashion today by making a generous donation to support our work.Winter is approaching fast, so now is the time to take a stand against the cruel fur industry. We have obtained many hours of undercover video footage – you can watch some of it for yourself on our website of what really takes place on fur farms. The designers and fashion houses that continue to sell fur spend thousands of pounds on advertising and PR to try to convince you that the animals they turn into coats and fur trim are treated well and have a good life. Don't believe them. Here is the terrible reality: • Animals languish in barren metal cages with barely enough room to move around for almost their entire lives. Continued in part 2 Jan 23, 2010, Vegetable Pie RecipeHow to make Vegetable Pie Permalink -- click for full blog post "Vegetable Pie Recipe" Jan 23, 2010, More than 26,000 seized animals need your help (Part 2)Continued from Part 1 * More than 12,000 baby turtles languished in cardboard boxes for weeks in the facility's warehouse and were deprived of food, water, space, humidity, heat, and ventilation. In just one day, 657 turtles were recorded in the facility's "daily dead log." This is only a glimpse of what PETA's investigator witnessed during his months inside this hellish animal warehouse. While we can't reveal every detail of this important investigation as legal proceedings unfold, you can see many of our findings in our recent blog post. Shortly before the new year, local authorities, accompanied by animal protection organizations and experts brought in by PETA, served a civil seizure warrant to take into protective custody the more than 26,000 animals housed by USGE at that time. Officials found hundreds of dead and dying animals—including nearly 300 barely alive, starved, and dehydrated iguanas inside shipping bags and crates—lying amid the decaying, even liquefied remains of others. We continue to work to ensure that those responsible for the suffering of these animals are held accountable. But for the tens of thousands of animals who have survived the terrible stress of being captured in the wild, thrown into containers too small to stretch or move in, and neglected at USGE, a new struggle is just beginning. The work that still needs to be done to give these rescued animals the basic care that has long been denied them is extensive and costly. In the short time since the seizure, we've already seen more than $61,000 in food, housing, and transportation costs. We estimate conservatively that it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide these animals with the care and permanent placement that they need. Jan 23, 2010, More than 26,000 seized animals need your help (Part 1)For more than seven months, a PETA investigator worked undercover inside U.S. Global Exotics (USGE), a major player in the pet trade. USGE buys and sells hundreds of thousands of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and arachnids from all around the world, many of whom are eventually sold to large pet store chains PETCO and PetSmart—stores that we have campaigned against and even won major concessions from over the years. The extent of the cruelty and neglect that our investigator documented in this massive and filthy animal warehouse was mind-boggling. Tens of thousands of animals— including ring-tailed lemurs, wallabies, sloths, hedgehogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, prairie dogs, squirrels, ferrets, snakes, turtles, and tortoises—were dumped into severely crowded and filthy boxes, bins, troughs, and even soda bottles and left there, often without food and water, basic care, or minimal veterinary attention for their life-threatening injuries. The following are a handful of examples that we documented of the daily, systemic mistreatment of animals: * Scared hamsters were crammed by the thousands into litter pans, unable to move for fear of being attacked by other distressed hamsters. These cruel conditions resulted in rampant cannibalism, horrific wounds and infections, and a daily death toll. Faulty watering-system nozzles routinely flooded bins, drowning the animals trapped inside. * Delicate green tree frogs were kept inside plastic soda bottles. Denied food and water, the frogs sometimes remained inside these bottles for weeks at a time until they were either sold or died—whichever came first. * A young hedgehog (pictured here) who was one of hundreds of little "pocket pets" at the facility was denied basic medical attention after his front leg was nearly severed. Many animals—including a spotted squirrel whose neck was torn in half —were dumped into a chest freezer to die slowly. Continued in Part 2 Jan 23, 2010, Help Haiti's AnimalsThe suffering in Haiti is tremendous. Fortunately, aid for people is now flowing into the country. But what about the animals? Humane Society International (HSI) is on the ground to help. Just after 6 p.m. last night, I crossed the border into Haiti -- despite a flat tire, an overheated engine, and two aftershocks -- and am seeing firsthand the total devastation left behind in the wake of last week's earthquake. Tent cities everywhere are teeming with tens of thousands of people now homeless. Mountains of rubble are all that remain of homes and buildings. And everyone is terrified of being crushed during the tremors that still rock the country. And amid all this human suffering, there's something else: Animals are suffering, too. The entire nation is overwhelmed by a lack of basic necessities -- adequate food, water, shelter, and medicine. Thankfully, it appears humanitarian aid is reaching the people affected by this disaster. But the conditions for animals are still deteriorating. In our short time here, I've seen cattle wandering through fields and stray dogs by the roads. With food and water in short supply, it is only a matter of time before these animals -- especially the injured -- come under threat of dehydration, starvation, and disease. Our team of responders from Humane Society International and Veterinary Care & Human Services, Caribbean Project (VCHS) is now in Port-au-Prince, providing emergency care and treatment to the animal survivors and assessing conditions to help stabilize the situation for them. We are working around the clock to mobilize more teams of responders, to obtain and ship food and supplies, and to coordinate with authorities and other organizations in Haiti. We are doing everything we can to provide immediate support to the animals who survived this disaster as well as develop ongoing institutional support for Haiti's animals and their human care-givers in the future. Jan 13, 2010, Colcanon RecipeHow to make Colcanon Permalink -- click for full blog post "Colcanon Recipe" Jan 13, 2010, Tomato Pie RecipeHow to make Tomato Pie Permalink -- click for full blog post "Tomato Pie Recipe" Jan 13, 2010, Sweetcorn Fritters RecipeHow to make Sweetcorn Fritters Permalink -- click for full blog post "Sweetcorn Fritters Recipe" Jan 8, 2010, Stuffed Spanish Onions with Brown Sauce RecipeHow to make Stuffed Spanish Onions with Brown Sauce Permalink -- click for full blog post "Stuffed Spanish Onions with Brown Sauce Recipe" Jan 8, 2010, Spinach Dumplings RecipeHow to make Spinach Dumplings Permalink -- click for full blog post "Spinach Dumplings Recipe" Dec 31, 2009, Savoury Tartlets RecipeHow to make Savoury Tartlets Permalink -- click for full blog post "Savoury Tartlets Recipe" Dec 31, 2009, Savoury Pie RecipeHow to make a Savoury Pie Permalink -- click for full blog post "Savoury Pie Recipe" Dec 26, 2009, Savoury Fritters RecipeHow to make Savoury Fritters Permalink -- click for full blog post "Savoury Fritters Recipe" Dec 26, 2009, Queens Apple and Onion Pie RecipeHow to make Queens Apple and Onion Pie Permalink -- click for full blog post "Queens Apple and Onion Pie Recipe" Dec 23, 2009, Potato and Tomato Pie RecipeHow to make Potato and Tomato Pie Permalink -- click for full blog post "Potato and Tomato Pie Recipe" Dec 23, 2009, Onion Turnover RecipeHow to make Onion Turnover Permalink -- click for full blog post "Onion Turnover Recipe" Dec 23, 2009, Stop China from introducing bullfighting!The Chinese government plans to introduce bullfighting in the country. A Spanish matador is already in charge of operations, with a shipment of bulls and cows for breeding planned for as soon as January. The construction of a bull ring is also due to start in the New Year and be complete by October. We need to act now! China may want to support Spanish culture, but would only promote a cruel past time that the vast majority of Europeans abhor and that most Spaniards have no interest in. STOP THIS EXPORT OF CRUELTY! Join the League, Animal and CAS International and send an email to the Chinese President by clicking the 'more info' link and urge him to stop these plans. Bullfighting is bad enough where it is, we can’t allow it to start in other countries. Dec 20, 2009, Onion Tart RecipeHow to make Onion Tart Permalink -- click for full blog post "Onion Tart Recipe"
|
