meat is gross! and other reasons to stop eating dead animals

Posted on by ktob6679

The choice to not eat meat is something that I have struggled with most of my life. Like the majority of Americans, I was raised to eat meat and enjoy it.  It wasn’t until I was about 12 that I started to make the correlation between the animals I loved so much and the food I was eating every day.  Once I fully understood that the bacon I loved to eat on weekends came from highly intelligent pigs, I wanted no part of it!  I’ll admit – it isn’t always easy. Holidays and family meals are always tricky. (No I can’t just pick it out, and yes, chicken stock does have meat in it.)

My love of all animals is, by far, the most important reason I choose to live a meat-free lifestyle.  But it isn’t the only one that keeps me from enjoying the bacon I once loved so much. As a minority in a meat-lovers world, I often get asked why I don’t eat meat.  Here is my three-fold response:

1. Meat is gross.  I know this is an oversimplification, but its true!  And not just the fact that it is the bloody flesh and tissue of a once living being.  Factory farmed animals carry disease (Mad Cow, Salmonella, Toxoplasmosis, just to name a few) and are pumped full of antibiotics and hormones. A meat-rich diet combined with these added chemicals leads to cancer, heart disease and countless other illnesses.  There are plenty of plant-based proteins to keep humans healthy their entire lives.

2. Meat is unsustainable. If the majority of meat was pasture raised on small farms like it was many years ago, this wouldn’t be such an issue.  Unfortunately, factory farms are now the norm and they are environmental nightmares. They waste water, grain (that could feed people), and energy. They are the single biggest polluter of our water supply and topsoil.  So basically, eating meat is worse for the environment than driving a Hummer, using plastic water bottles and leaving the water running while brushing your teeth combined.

3. Meat is cruel. In my opinion, there is no humane way to eat meat, even if it doesn’t come from a factory farm.  Odds are though that it does.  These animals are confined, tortured and forced to live very short, miserable lives knee-deep in their own waste. (I am certain there would be many more vegetarians if meat eaters actually knew the horrors these animals faced before becoming their main entrée)  I am also unable to pick and choose which animals are my friends and which are my food.  The super smart pig and sweet, doe-eyed cow are just as worthy to me as my pet dog and horse.

cow

Are there any other reasons you decided to stop eating meat? Or, are you someone who is thinking about giving up meat for good?  Checkout Meatless Monday for some great vegan/vegetarian recipes – this is a great way to decide if the choice is right for you, and to help save some animals at the same time.

why i chose to adopt, not shop

Posted on by ktob6679

October is National Pit Bull Awareness Month and Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, which officially makes October my favorite month ever. Since I have adopted a pit bull and a pit bull mix from animal shelters, I thought this was the perfect time to talk about the reasons I chose to adopt and not “shop” for a dog from a breeder or, god-forbid, a pet store.

1.  I got to save a life. Every time I took an animal out of the shelter, it’s life was spared.  In turn, another animal got to take its place for possible adoption. So, really you save 2 lives when you adopt.  The shelter where we adopted our dog Banana from was a “kill shelter” and can take in anywhere from 20-50 dogs a day.  The majority of these dogs are pit bulls who have a hard time getting adopted due to the (unfair) stigma they carry. Lucky for Banana, we love pit bulls and their sweet, silly and loyal personalities.

2. I got a healthy dog.  Many people believe that the animals at shelters are feral, diseased mutts.  This is just not true!  Shelters are filled with healthy animals that just need a good home, even purebreds! Many rescue organizations even specialize in certain breeds, so you can get exactly what you are looking for.  The best part is that when you pay your adoption fee (which will be MUCH less than what you will pay a breeder or pet store) your dog will be spayed/neutered, micro-chipped and vaccinated.

3. Shelter dogs just know.  I love all dogs – whether they came from a shelter or a breeder.  But after being stuck in a cage, alone and afraid for weeks or even months, shelter dogs just seem to be more appreciative of the attention, love and safe place to lay their head that you give them after freeing them from an uncertain future.

** Approximately 1.2 million shelter dogs are euthanized in the US each year. These are healthy animals that have the potential to be sweet and loving companions if just given the chance.  So the next time you are thinking about adding a new furry member to your family, please consider adoption – you could save a life!

cagey

6 documentaries every animal lover should see

Posted on by ktob6679

Throughout my life’s journey to become an animal advocate, I have seen far too many images of abuse that I wish I could erase from mind – the extent of man’s cruelty to animals never ceases to amaze me.

sad dog

But without seeing these horrible things, I don’t think my passion for the cause would be as strong.  And I firmly believe that the images and films that are the hardest to watch are usually the ones most worth watching.

There are so many great documentaries that will open the eyes and touch the hearts of any person with a soul, but these 6 are my personal favorites and they all have the power to change the way you see the world.  Enjoy!

1. An Apology to Elephants — Elephants are some of the most majestic and intelligent animals walking the earth.  Yet somehow humans don’t seem to get that and would rather kill them for ivory trinkets or abuse them for entertainment purposes. You will never go to the damn zoo or circus again after watching this movie.  I promise.

2. Food Inc. — This doc is mainly about how bad the American food industry has become in recent years, and is also one of the reasons I no longer eat meat.  Factory farming is not only a cruel and inhumane way to raise livestock, but it is also an unsustainable food option for mankind. Do you know where your food/meat comes from?

3. Earthlings — I will admit – this one is very hard to watch and has been dubbed the “vegan-maker” due to the graphic truths depicted about everything from slaughterhouses and factory farms to puppy mills and animal testing laboratories. I often tell my friends and family that I will no longer lecture them if they are able to watch this entire movie and still want to eat meat.

4. The Cove — Before seeing this film, I always thought it would be cool to go to one of those places on vacation where you get to swim with dolphins.  After seeing this film, I have made it a personal crusade to educate as many people as I can about what they are actually funding when they “swim with the dolphins.”

5. Blackfish — As a child, I loved SeaWorld and parks like it that allowed visitors to see these beautiful aquatic mammals up close and personal.  Now as an adult, I know these places for the hell on earth they are for these extremely intelligent and sensitive creatures.  Please, do not give these places any money.

What do you all think about these films?  Are there any that you would add to the list?

meet the pack

Posted on by ktob6679

For the sake of sanity and peace in our small house, all 4 of our pups must be walked when we get home each day from work.  Yep, you read that right- 4 dogs.  (We are crazy people who enjoy eating dog hair, wearing dog hair, vacuuming dog hair and spending ridiculous amounts of money on vet appointments, dog food, dog toys, and dog beds.)   During one such evening constitutional just last week, a new neighbor thought that we were a dog-walking service and, upon realizing that all 4 dogs were actually our own, told us how crazy we must be.

*Side note – at the time, this same man was trying to get his 3 small children into his minivan and was not having a very easy time doing it. Soooo, who’s the crazy one?

But I can understand why we get some strange looks from the neighbors.  All 4 dogs are big (none under 50 lbs) and our houses are small.  (We never set out to have 4 large dogs, but we are both suckers for a cute face that needs a good home.  This common trait is one of the reasons I love my husband so much)  Hence the reason for nice long evening walks – 4 tired dogs in tight quarters is much more pleasant than 4 hyperactive ones.  Plus, it gives the hubs and I a chance to talk about our day and catch up.

But I digress.  The purpose of this post is to introduce you to “the pack”, as they are affectionately referred to as by friends and family.  So, without further ado:

Madison, the Matriarch, aka “old lady”

maddy

Madison is a 14-year-old yellow lab that I got in college as a 7 week old puppy.  She was the most adorable thing I had ever seen and she has been with me through some great times and some crappy ones too.  I moved in with my husband when she was 2 and he quickly adopted her as his own.  She is very sweet and very smart, and seems to have no desire to ever go to doggie heaven.  She is arthritic, deaf, partially blind and incontinent, but she still trots right along side her daddy every night on our walks.  It will be a very sad day when she finally decides to go chase tennis balls on the other side.

Jackson, My Shadow

jackson

Before we adopted Jackson from a local shelter 7 years ago, I was perfectly content being mom to just one fur baby. But the hubs wanted another, so I begrudgingly agreed to visit the shelter, “just to see.”  One look into Jack’s sweet and soulful eyes and I was done.  This dog was coming home with me.  Jackson is beautiful black lab mix (pit bull maybe?) that lives to cuddle and get tummy rubs.  He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he is loyal, obedient and patient.  I call him my shadow because he always wants to be right by my side, even if I am sitting on the toilet.

Winston, aka Mr. Winston

winston

Winston came to us about 3 years ago at the age of 3 when a life-long friend of mine could no longer care for him.  At this time, we were definitely not looking to add another dog to the mix (small house, remember?) but I couldn’t let my friend give up her dog to someone she didn’t know and trust.  Luckily, Winston is an easy-going guy who fit right in with the other 2.  He is a lab/pointer mix who barks at doorbells on TV and howls when he hears sirens going by.  Very silly, but sweet.

Banana, The Jester, aka Nanners

banana bio

Last, but certainly not least, is Banana.  This dog is as goofy as his name (which was his shelter name that suited him so well that we had to keep it).  This past December, about 5 days before Christmas, I was shopping at the mall and passed by a dog adoption event.  It was there that I spotted a sleeping Banana in his crate looking very pitiful.  After speaking with the coordinator and my husband, I agreed to foster Banana over the holidays and help find him a good home. (When my husband picked him up from the shelter a few days later, he was told Banana had been there for over 3 months and was due for euthanasia the very next day.  After about 3 weeks of attending adoption events to find Banana a home, I realized that I had already fallen in love with this dog and there was no way I was giving him up.  At approximately 1-year-old, he is a high-energy, extremely smart, baby pit bull.  When he first got to our house, it was clear he had no idea how to behave or what was expected of him.  Now, 9 months later, he has completely transformed into a wonderful dog and companion.  Like most pit bulls, he loves being with his family (both canine and human), loves to play and is a world-class snuggler.  He sleeps under the covers at night and has a too-long-for-his-mouth tongue that is always sticking out about an inch.  He makes me laugh every day and I can’t imagine not having him in the pack.

Do any of you out there have “packs” of your own?  Maybe even more than 4?  I would love to hear about your fur babies, so please comment if you want to share stories or photos!

giving a voice to the voiceless

Posted on by ktob6679

Welcome to my blog!  As you’ve probably ascertained, this site is dedicated to animals because, let’s face it, animals are way cooler than people. Animals don’t wage religious wars, they won’t tell lies to get you into bed, they don’t drive minivans, and they certainly never would dream of buying a Justin Bieber CD.

justin

This Beluga may look like he’s smiling, but he’s really crying on the inside.

But in spite of all that convincing evidence to the awesomeness of animals, people still act as if they are somehow better than the rest of our earthly companions.  Why?  Just because we have the ability to speak?  To get jobs and drive minivans and write blogs about ridiculous topics?  I agree that this definitely separates us from our furry/scaly/feathery friends, but I fail to see how it gives us any more right to be here than them.  Or why some people think this makes it ok to use animals for our own personal gain or entertainment. Unfortunately, because animals lack the ability to spew word vomit speak up for themselves, horrible humans everywhere are free to harm them and exploit them…  UNTIL, the kindhearted minority of humans that actually respect animals and their extreme awesomeness take a stand and give a voice to the voiceless.

So, that is about it.  I may at times get on a soapbox about why you shouldn’t eat meat, wear fur or buy dogs from pet stores, but it is only to try to educate people about the horrors some animals face and to try to end the cruelty once and for all.  But I will also tell funny stories about my 4 goofy fur babies (stay tuned for adorable photos), as well as share some heartwarming news from the animal kingdom and ways you can help animals in need.

And remember, life is short – go play with your dog! (or cat, or horse, or chicken, or…)