Archive for March, 2008If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
I have done my fair share of criticizing breeders, too. How could anyone buy from a pet shop or breeder when there are so many homeless animals? But, I hear about homeless animals a lot more than I hear about homeless children. Just as an example, there are 11 million children in sub-Saharan Africa alone who have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic, according to the WomenAid Children of the World Initiative. It is easy to forget about these children. I know I have done more to help homeless animals in my area than I have done to help any child. The bottom line is, there are millions of homeless, orphaned children in the world, yet we still want our own babies. There are also millions of homeless dogs in shelters and in the streets, yet we still buy puppies from breeders. The global problem of homeless children is a difficult issue to address, and that’s why it is too often avoided. There is no simple solution, but next time you question a breeder’s motives, think about what you are really arguing. It’s more important to love children and dogs for the individuals they are, not for where they come from. Saturday was day 18 of my 30-day challenge to walk Ace every day. He has been doing a lot better this week. I have been walking him for about 10 minutes, then he runs off-leash before walking 10 more minutes. I use bits of cheese as a reward for good heeling. He has been sitting well and really watching me to see what to do. It makes a difference when I act really excited and really get into what we’re doing. When I start to get bored, he is bored too. I have to take a break from my challenge, because I am in California on vacation. Ace is staying with my parents in Wisconsin. He gets to run and play in a big yard all week with two other dogs! Lucky Ace. Click here to see all my 30-day challenge posts. During slaughter, some cows remain fully conscious throughout the whole killing process, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. First they are shot in the head with a bolt gun, next they are hung by their legs, their throats are cut, and finally they are skinned. According to the Washington Post, one slaughterhouse worker said the cows “die piece by piece.” Reading about how cows, chickens, pigs and other animals are treated prior to their deaths and ending up on my dinner plate was enough to make me try a vegetarian diet for the month of August. I really thought it would only last 30 days, because I like a good hamburger or steak. But I realized in about three weeks that it was very easy for me not to eat meat. I noticed no differences, other than I had to find something else to grill at a barbecue (I recommend grilled asparagus). Now I’ve been a vegetarian for 8 months. People have their own beliefs on vegetarianism. I am not going to tell anyone to stop eating meat, because it is a personal choice. Plus, I ate meat for 24 years. As for those who are vegetarian, the reasons vary. I do not eat meat because of how the animals are treated. There are online videos showing animals being slaughtered while still screaming. These sounds and images truly bother me, so I do not even want to include them on my blog. You can see them for yourself with a simple search on Youtube. Others don’t eat meat because of the health benefits. My diet consists of so many other processed foods that I haven’t really noticed a difference healthwise. Eliminating meat from my diet cut out unneeded fat, not to mention the hormones injected into the animals while they were still living. But I feel the best when I eat mostly rice, fresh fruits and vegetables, and that goes beyond eliminating meat. Have you considered going vegetarian? If so, what are your reasons? |
