Stop the use of Karakul lamb foetus fur in fashion!! Please, SIGN!
The designers and fashion houses apparently innocently call this fur “astrakhan” this season, but in reality is the the fur of premature foetal (unborn) Persian or karakul lambs about two weeks before birth. The Karakul is usually black, shiny, and so tightly curled that it forms smooth ridges. The fur noticeably loses luster over the next ten days, and uncurls and lightens in color rapidly within the first two or three days after birth. The younger the lamb or fetus, the more valuable the pelt, and many unsuspecting buyers are purchasing these items unaware it is actually fur, because it resembles watered silk or crushed velvet. It looks man made.
More worryingly, a reporter with the Daily Mail in London recently talked to a fur dealer in Frankfurt, Germany, who said that he sells karakul coats under the “Kara-Cool” label, which, according to the journalist, “appeals to the younger shoppers. The new processing techniques and the new colors mean we are appealing to a younger customer”. Another fur dealer told the Daily Mail. “We used to say that all you could make out of karakul was a black coat fit for a funeral, but not anymore.”
Kara-Cool, astrakhan, broadtail, and Persian lamb are just a few of the labels under which the fur of newborn or fetal lambs could be sold; others include swakara or krimmer. It would seem clear that designers and retailers will continually find a way to repackage and remarket karakul and broadtail fur to an unsuspecting public, a public that has no idea how ugly the slaughter of lambs (and their mothers) can be.
Incandescent
On a farm near Bukhara, in the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, pregnant ewes were routinely slaughtered for fetal pelts. Graphic videotape shot at the farm showed a pregnant ewe held down, her throat slit, and her stomach slashed wide so that a worker could remove the developing fetus the “raw material” for coats, vests, and other broadtail fashions. A local quotes: “Basically, the sheep is killed with a lamb still inside it. It’s a very old practice in Uzbekistan. I remember in Soviet times that karakultcha was very fashionable among Communist Party leaders and their families. In those days, we would fatten and then, over several weeks, kill about 50,000 pregnant sheep to obtain the pelts from the unborn lambs.”
Karakul and broadtail fur can turn up in coats, skirts, vests, linings, accessories, and trim. Designers who use this fur include Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Karl Lagerfeld, Dolce & Gabbana; Gabbana, Miuccia Prada, Christian Dior, Valentino, Carolina Herrera, Givenchy, and Claudio Merazzi.
One way to stop the killing of infant and fetal lambs for their fur is to stop buying the products made from their pelts. Read labels closely and look for words such as Kara-Cool, astrakhan, broadtail, Persian lamb, swakara and krimmer. And tell your friends to do the same. Lobby these designers, this is a the most distressing story every to come out of the Fashion world.
Please sign this petition now to stop this barbaric trade in the name of Vanity!
YOUR taxes are subsidizing bullfights ( Petition )
Bullfighting has been banned in the UK since 1835 and is illegal in many other European Union countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands. However, the European Commission is using people’s tax money to subsidies the breeding of bulls for bullfights.
It is estimated that bull breeders who provide bulls for bullfighting receive around 30 million Euros a year in subsidies through the EU. These subsidies are dispensed through the Common Agricultural Policy, to which the UK contributes billions of pounds each year. I know you agree with us that bullfighting is an appallingly cruel and totally outdated ‘sport.’ Bullfighting is a dying industry, but these subsidies are helping to keep it alive. And it’s YOUR money that’s keeping it alive.
We need your help to send a strong message to European decision – makers that bullfighting has no place in a modern, civilized society. Please join campaigners across Europe and take action now.
Catalonia’s recent decision to ban bullfighting is further evidence that this ‘sport’ lies in the past. The European Union must respect the wishes of its citizens and stop subsidizing cruelty.
Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. We as rescuers do our best to save every life we can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes. My point to all of this DONT BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE! Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is. I just hope I maybe changed one persons mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I hope that someone will walk into a shelter and say I saw this video and it made me want to adopt. THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT.
The cruel “tradition” of bullfighting does not display any form of courage or bravery. This murderous “tradition” only shows the true art of cowardice and cruelty. Unfortunately, many people believe that bullfighting is a form of traditional art and culture. This idea is false and derived off of ignorance. Bullfighting is animal cruelty and torture. For those who do not fully understand the true extent of cruelty within bullfighting, we will explain the “traditional and cultural art” of cowardice and cold ruthlessness.
A cowardly picador slams a spear into a bull from relative safety on top of a horse. The bull attacks the horse, believing it be the source of his torment. The horse is used as a living shield by a thug who doesn’t know the meaning of integrity, bravery, or a fair fight.
A bull in obvious physical distress can do nothing but stand and bleed, with several decorative tags still hanging from his mutilated body. During it all, sickeningly festive band music plays for the crowds.
Crowds cheer as a mutilated bull named Bright Eyes falls to the ground once he’s too weak to stand. Several matadors stand around waving their capes trying to look useful while the bull collapses.
A matador approaches the fallen bull Bright Eyes from behind and knifes the animal in the back of the neck. The bull falls over with eyes bulging in shock and terror. The matador continues to cut the still conscious animal, while children run over to see the gore and blood close up.
After being tortured beyond imagination, the fallen bull Bright Eyes has to endure one more atrocity as his ear is cut off for a trophy. Blood runs down the skull and pools under the animal’s head. Bright Eyes is somehow still alive and conscious, feeling every cut and jab. The crowd continues to cheer and whistle, fully aware of what has just happened.
A matador drives a sword between the shoulders of a bull. As usual, the sword does not kill the victim, and the thugs run around the bull to make him move, so the sword will cut up his insides.
Stabbed in the lungs, and spewing blood from his nose and mouth, a bull is run in circles by the killer thugs. This causes the sword to cut up the victim’s insides.
Bulls are rarely killed by the thrust of the sword, and this victim was no exception. As he lowers in agony and complete submission, a coward approaches him from behind. Even now the “bullfighter” has no courage.
Still conscious, but paralyzed from being stabbed in the back of the neck to mutilate his spinal cord, the bull is dragged from the bullring by ropes tied around his back legs. He was butchered alive.
Bullfighting is not a cultural or traditional form of art or sport. Bullfighting is the sadistic torture and slaughter of an already injured and frightened bull whose fate will ultimately end up in death. No living creature deserves this cruel and painful fate. Please help stop this massacre from taking any more innocent lives. Bullfighting must be stopped and these innocent animals need our voice to speak out for them and against this cruelty. Please contact any country officials that are allowing this bloodbath to occur and continue to take the lives of innocent and frightened animals. These animals are suffering and they need our voice, our involvement and our help. Please be their voice.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us and we will respond as soon as we are able. If you need the addresses to contact Mexican and Spanish embassies to urge them to stop the cruelty of bullfighting, please contact us and we will provide you with the addresses so that you can write them and demand that they end bullfighting and all its horrors.
Animals speak to us in their own way,
but if they spoke with words, what would they say?
One thing I declare, without ANY doubt:
All creatures in cages would say ‘Let me out!’
‘Watch my eyes follow your every motion’
A dog would say, ‘my life speaks of devotion’.
A horse would say, ‘A fire burns deep within me
that yearns to run through the countryside, free!’
‘You can be soft and cuddly, like I am’
illustrates an adorable little lamb. ‘Soar with your thoughts like I soar through the sky,’
advises a wood pigeon gliding by.
‘Help, my mother’s been shot’ a fawn would cry,
who woefully witnessed her mother die.
She’d flee in fear to her cousins and brother, ‘The scariest beast of all killed my mother.’
‘Your blindness to bovines is an oddity,
for you see us as a mere commodity.
It’s so sad; all the exploitation we’ve seen,
We are conscious beings treated like a machine.’
‘Some scientists are really quite confused
seeking answers by primates being abused.
I, with eyes that greatly resemble yours,
see madness in some things that man explores.’
‘I can’t breathe or move; I’m living in hell!’
cries a chicken from her crowded prison cell.
‘Humans inflict such excruciating pain’,
With a hook in his mouth, a fish would explain.
One way we can improve the human race
is to respect those of a different face.
We need to listen in a whole new way
to what animals are trying to say.
From: EUTHANIZE ANIMAL ABUSERS Date: May 24, 2009 2:33 PM
These two were “hanging out” in a Santa Barbara County dispatch office all afternoon and evening… Fawn is 3 days old and Bobcat about 3 weeks. The Fawn came from somewhere in the fire and the Bobcat from Carpentaria last week. They immediately bonded and snuggled together under the desk for several hours.
Cats are actually very intelligent animals. Here, a description of how they are intelligent, how to bond with them, and true-life stories of behavior smart cats have exhibited.
Cats are a lot more intelligent than people give them credit for. They are capable of forming attachments to people and communicating their needs and wants. They are capable of “instinctual thought.” Cat owners will agree, these are animals are truly smart.
These animals have many wants. The stories people tell are all about cats who are cunning, aloof, and always hungry. In many ways, this image is correct, but there’s a lot more to most cats than this. They have personalities – and that may mean that they don’t hesitate to demand whatever they want, be it food, play, or to be left alone.
How do cats get our attention? Those with louder “voices” may meow at their owners endlessly. They may also follow you around, insist on sitting on your laps (or near to), or rub against your ankles. All of these are signs that the cat uses to say “I’m here! Pay attention to me!” If we choose to oblige, we can learn more about them as individuals.
The myth says that while dogs are man’s best friend, cats are aloof and no one’s ally – that is, they use us as means to get what they want, and nothing more. However, this is often untrue, especially with the more intelligent cats. Cats can form attachments to their owners if given the chance, and will reciprocate the love they’re shown. They are not quite as fickle as they’re often portrayed.
New owners will want to get to know their cat, much the same way they get to know a new person. Pay attention to what the cat does – when and where does s/he like to sleep? Is s/he the quiet type, or does s/he meow all the time? Is s/he the “fussy” type who is very selective about food and people? Does s/he like to be held or sit on laps?
All of these are characteristics that define a cat. By paying attention to them, it’s possible to help them form that attachment and to tell how smart they really are. Watch how much the cat seems to pay attention to the world around him. A smarter cat will use his keen senses to stop and take note of a situation before acting, and will seem to ‘think’ about what would be best to do. They also may pay attention to specific stimuli, such as the TV or the radio. Some outdoor cats have even learned to check for traffic before crossing the street.
One very intelligent cat knew exactly how to manipulate her owner. She learned to recognize her owner’s footsteps (vs. the rest of the family) coming up the front walk. When she heard her owner’s footsteps, she would run first towards the door, then up the opposite stairs. From the top of the stairs, near the entrance to the owner’s bedroom, she would wait and meow until the owner came to say hello. When she heard the rest of the family’s footsteps, she would run away from the door and hide. In many similar cases, the cat showed the same behavior in response to voices.
The cat also showed direct communication with her owner. At night, if she knew it was ‘bedtime,’ she would find her owner and let her know, verbally, that it was time to go upstairs. If the owner was at her computer, near the stairs, the cat would step off the stairs, directly onto the computer table, and would make it impossible for her to continue working. On weekends, when the owner did not go to bed until later, the cat would insist on sleeping in her lap.
Many cats do exhibit this type of behavior. They get to know their owners as much as their owners get to know them. They learn routines from months or years of experiencing them, and may learn to issue gentle reminders about parts of this routine that include them. They will certainly issue reminders if it’s time to feed them. Also, since many cats enjoy sleeping somewhere near the owners (at the foot of their bed, on their pillow, even being held by the owner), they may remind the owner about bedtime. Because of this, cats may become almost human to their owners.
The ones that live outdoors are just as intelligent as indoor ones, and have very different ways of showing it off. In one case, a cat had a very long memory of one isolated incident, which is unusual. A raccoon attacked the cat when she was barely a year old, and a family with quite a bit of property took her in and let her roam around. When she’d had her first litter of kittens, she took them out hunting, and they killed a raccoon that was much larger than they were. To the cat’s family, they were avenging the attack.
Most cats are capable of these kinds of intelligent and sometimes surprising behavior. To get the most out of the cat, spend time with him. Play with him, talk to him, play music for him, watch TV with him. Many cats surprisingly show an interest in the television and even seem to remember where it is and what it does. They also may show an interest for certain kinds of shows – animal shows and cartoons shows are a big hit. Cats like watching other animals, as well as anything bright, colorful, and rapidly moving. Some also enjoy listening to music and possibly even their owner singing.
Cats will learn their owner’s patterns and rhythms. If a cat enjoys sitting with an owner while he or she is watching TV, or relaxing in his or her bedroom, s/he will learn to listen and look for the owner going to that location. They may learn to listen for music or television sounds, or even a door closing. When they see and hear these clues, they may go and find their owners. Some may frequently relax in one specific room that ‘belongs’ to them.
They can also learn to ‘talk’ to their owners. When an owner speaks to them, recognizing the voice and its tone (for example, a happy, ‘conversational’ tone), they may meow in response, or get up and walk towards the owner. It’s possible to have a ‘conversation’ this way. One cat eventually learned to meow in such a way (from time to time) that it sounded like she was saying a word in response to her owner’s questions.
They are most relaxed, generally, when they are with the owner(s) they trust the most and there is nothing within hearing or sight range that may even possibly threaten them. This may include rowdy children, other animals, or other stimuli (such as thunder, other loud noises). They will generally allow their owner to play more when they are relaxed than when they are busy observing their environment in case of danger. If an owner lifts the cat, they can feel the difference in the cat’s body – a relaxed cat is loose and light, and scared cat is tight and heavy. Bonding is best when the cat is relaxed and ready to play.
Owners can get to know their cat and bring out the best in them by playing with them whenever possible. They’ll learn nonverbal communication this way, too – owners may be able to see the cat smile, or read the look of love and contentment in his or her eyes. Though cats may be more ‘selective’ than dogs, they are just as willing to lavish love on their ‘special’ owner as the dogs are. Some may even learn to do tricks, just like dogs! So cherish the cats and invest love and time in them. They will give back by showing off their incredible intelligence and loyalty.
