People For Animals

Farmers preferring to rear livestock for meat

2010-02-22T14:48:00.000+05:30

Help stopping the price rise in fodder... Cattle leading to death.....

NEW DELHI: India's almost-indelible perch atop global milk-producing nations is showing the first signs of cracks with farmers increasingly

preferring to rear livestock for meat, lured by lucrative prices and a friendly government policy.

The country’s average milk yield of 917 kg per annum is now ranked a lowly 35th among 44 select countries, though India continues to be the world’s largest milk producer, a position it has clung to for many years. Still, there are clear signs of worry as farmers in north India, the country’s top milk-producing region, are up against squeezed margins after a 90 per cent rise in fodder prices between 2006 and 2009. The sharp increase in fodder prices is driving farmers to send animals to abattoirs.

In contrast, the value of meat exports has doubled in four years to Rs 5,000 crore in 2008-09 , according to industry estimates. India shipped around 20,000 animals in 2008-09. Indeed, the two segments present a picture of contrasting fortunes.

According to state-run Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, the per-kg realisation of meat (meat extracted for processing) rose 57 per cent to Rs 115 in 2008-09 from a year ago. Meat realisation for a buffalo weighing around 500 kg is about 275 kg.

Farmers selling milk, in comparison, have gained little due to the surge in fodder prices, though the wholesale price index for milk has shot up by 14 per cent from a year ago. The change in farmers’ practices is palpable.

A recent report of the advisory committee on animal husbandry and dairying said there were chances of a drop in the annual growth target of milk production to five per cent from the 6-7 per cent projected in the current Five Year Plan (2007-12).

National Dairy Development Board chairperson Amrita Patel said if milk production persistently flagged, imports would become the order of the day. The culprit, says the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), the apex body comprising members from cooperatives, MNCs, corporates & PSUs, among others, is a government policy lopsided towards meat exporters.

Farm animals producing 10 litres of milk a day require at least 675 kg of crude protein a year. But raw cattle feed exports have more than doubled between 2006 and 2009, mounting pressure on fodder prices. Fodder ingredients sufficient to feed 3,300,826 animals, which could have translated into 10 per cent of India’s annual milk production, were also exported.

"The abnormal rise in the cost of feed and maintenance has made it highly uneconomical for farmers to keep a dry buffalo (which ceases to produce milk). So when a buffalo becomes dry, it is sent to a slaughterhouse," said a New Delhi-based dairy sector executive. "This has become the trend in all peri-urban areas."

Buffalo meat exports between April 2008 and January 2009 leapt 45% from a year ago, boosted by government incentives such as Vishesh Krishi Aur Gram Udyog Yojana and duty entitlement passbook scheme, which give refunds and duty exemptions to exporters.

The Centre’s meat export incentives in 2008-09 alone were an estimated Rs 484 crore. Ironically, the BJP’s stringent opposition to animal slaughter forced the Planning Commission in 2002 to backpedal proposals such as withdrawal of the beef export ban and a hike in meat and leather exports.

The incentives have not gone down well with the dairy sector, which allege that the government’s skewed policy is likely to accentuate a severe milk shortage. The IDA says these incentives mean more and more high producer animals are heading to slaughterhouses.

Source: ET

[Animal Rights Petitions] Stop EU subsidies to livestock industry

2008-11-13T00:11:00.001+05:30

Sign Here

In the last fifty years, in Europe and elsewhere in the developed countries, there has been an exponential growth in the consumption of animal products (meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products). These foods are consumed at each meal in every household; quite unlike 50 years ago, when these were rare food items. Today these items cost extremely little, with respect to production costs, often even less than vegetable products, which inevitably require far less raw materials, energy and labor.

This is because farmers and fishermen receive direct and indirect funding both from the state and the European Union; in effect, what we do not pay for at the cash register we pay for in taxes. It is also paid for by those who choose not to buy animal products.

This is all the more serious as the consequences of the high consumption of meat, food and other animal products are greater on the environment, on human health and on the development of poorer countries. It would be justifiable and positive if individual states and the European Community supported and promoted only the consumption of foods that are healthy and have little environmental impact. Instead they do so with foods whose production has a devastating impact... and this is neither acceptable nor justifiable. It is up to us citizens to put an end to this situation and press for a more farsighted, sensible and sustainable policy in this matter, which will protect the environment and human health rather than harm them as it does now.

What we propose is to reverse this self-destructive trend, resulting in the following steps.

1. Put an end to every kind of subsidy for breeding, fishing, crop cultivations intended for farmed animals feed;

2. Charge for the purchase of farmed animals feed;

3. Ensure that the animal products the final consumer buys show their real price, not distorted by subsidies and other facilities granted to the producers and that also includes the environmental cost for the enormous negative impact of breeding (internalization of costs).

4. Put an end to campaigns for the promotion of animal products consumption financed by public money;

5. To support, with subsidies and information campaigns, the consumption of healthy plant-based food, to be less expensive for the final consumer, an easily obtainable result after the withdrawal of the enourmous costs of subsidies to farming and fishing.

We propose in the meantime a petition in support of Point 1 of this series of proposals.

The petition has the purpose to both bring forward this issue with the European Parliament and to raise the matter in various areas, because not enough attention is ever put to how damaging the practice of farming is and how therefore unacceptable it is to finance it with public funding.

Visit the Animal Blogs:

http://ppl4animals.blogspot.com

http://allanimalpetitions.blogspot.com

Posted By PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS to Animal Rights Petitions at 11/12/2008 10:23:00 AM

What Breed is it?

2008-11-01T17:15:00.001+05:30

Street dogs roaming in and around the city is a common scene in India. These are abandoned and can be found being beaten and teased away from one place to the other. Every one has a problem with them.
We have a lot of Animal Lovers around but they just want to take care of some good breed of an animal. Specially the dog...

The first and the common question which anyone asks upon being asked for adopting a dog is "What breed is it..?"

And this, then generally happens with the status conscious guys who don't want to adopt an unknown breed or otherwise with some who are generally scared of the diseases being carried by the animal(Even when it's already sterilized!!!).
The second reason may seem to be a bit valid but what about the first case??
This query seems to be inhumane and reflects the social weirdness and the fake face of the individual... I mean...what the hell is animal love to do with the breed...It very well relates the nature of the individual who makes relationships according to his social status, financial standings etc. Willing to pay thousands of bucks for a "breed" dog; they can't adopt a cute looking Indian street stray pup!! Wired..
Those beggars and the poor in the slums are better and actually have love and affection for these poor animals.. They share their food with them, take care of them, provide them shelter...They should actually be appreciated.

Our appeal to those who don't care about the stature of the dog and simply love them is that "Please adopt an Indian Dog".
Adopting them would do good to us :
1.)You would get a loving, caring and obedient friend(Which is hard to find otherwise :) ).
2.)It'll clear up the streets,and the city would look good; with no strays around.
3.)They would not be chased and would not bite people.
4.)Their population would be controlled, and would not be brutally killed.

If one out of four Indians Adopts an Indian Stray Dog, all the street dogs would be gone.

So, ADOPT AN INDIAN DOG

People for Animals

Do Online Petitions Work!!

2008-10-29T01:00:00.001+05:30

Does Signing a Petition helps the targetted in any form?

There has always been a confusion that do the petitions we sign actually help the targetted benificiary or not.

A petition, be it online or written can be used in the parliament to pass a bill if it reaches a particular number; so signing petitions is not a waste at all. That is, the more the people sign the petition the more popular it becomes and thus can make a difference to the targetted by compelling the related authorities to take an action.But for this, someone must take a hard copy of the entire petition and approach a local political party or file legally for a BILL.

Petitions are also used as solid evidence in courts and can help in chnaging the judgement or influence it atleast.

Many a petitions have already worked wonders..

So keep signing petitions and forward it to all you know to make it more popular and thus a successful petition!!

There is a simple way to find petitions by yourself.

Use google's CSE for petitions, search by keywords like 'Animal Cruelty In China'

http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000818287483724297494:l03djeg20wm

Also, you may find some concerned and fast running petitions at

http://allanimalpetitions.blogspot.com

People for Animals

Animal Abuse and the Olympics

2008-10-28T17:12:00.001+05:30

We recently finished up with our petition on the animal abuse in China and the one specially related to the Olympic Cleaning up...
Thanks for the supporters..

For the ones who wish to read more on this act.. Here's an excerpt...

...Chinese restaurants carry at least 20 different dog dishes, with “fried long dog tails” being the latest craze among upscale Beijing yuppies. The market is so substantial that—similar to Burger King in America—there’s an outfit in China called Dog Meat King whose specialty is self-explanatory.

Researchers have published gruesome photographs of dead dogs being hung from hooks in meat lockers, while others showed butchers slitting dogs’ throats to drain the blood. Usually, Chinese diners prefer to eat puppies between the ages of 6-12 months because they are most tender. Over 300,000 dogs are slaughtered nationwide, many of them processed into a garish type of stew.

Some restaurants submerge live dogs in boiling water and pull their skin from the carcass in one swift motion. Other chefs will gut a dog from throat to stomach; then hold the “prize” aloft by the tail in front of their clients before cooking it. Many of those slaughtered are actually family pets (with collars still intact) that are stolen by poachers and transported in trucks without food or water.

After being pulled from their cages, videotaped footage shows them being brutalized with knives and clubs, or having their heads smashed on the ground to stun them. Ted Kerasole of Salon magazine describes the helpless dogs being gutted, strung aloft by wires, then skinned alive—a torturous process that takes up to seven minutes.

In China, dog meat is considered a delicacy that purportedly increases one’s sexual prowess and “warms their blood.” Another two million dogs and cats are murdered each year to supplement the international fur trade. Yes, felines are also eaten in China, as well as monkey brains and bird eyes......

View Full Article

Comment Here or mail me at pfa.jaipur@gmail.com

People for Animals

Animal In Zoo...Animal Comic

2008-10-26T13:01:00.000+05:30

Can't Understand why the animals are still put up in the zoos..When we have all the means to see them and learn about them..
Saw this comic strip in a mail; all credits and appreciation to the creator..

Thankyou for the support!!

2008-10-25T01:11:00.000+05:30

Thank you all whoever signed the Petition and even those who took the time to read it atleast. The petition has been forwarded to the Chinese Embassy and would soon see some effect on the cruelty to animals not only in china but world over.

Thank you again and hope to see your support on other petitions as well.
For more concerned petitions visit : http://allanimalpetitions.blogspot.com

Pardon!!

2008-10-25T01:06:00.000+05:30

Sorry for not being able to follow through and update the blog.. I'll definitely try and keep on doing that.
I hope to get brief notes on the "extinct" or "getting extinct " species around.

Endangered Species : Sharks : Whale Shark

2008-05-21T18:14:00.001+05:30

>> ENDANGERED : Whale Shark(Rhincodon typus)

The largest living fish species.
Found in tropical and warm oceans and lives in the open sea.
Believed to have originated about 60 million years ago.
Despite its enormous size, does not pose any significant danger to humans.
Targeted by artisinal and commercial fisheries in several areas where they seasonally aggregate.
Targeted by harpoon fisheries because their meat and fins fetch a high price on the international market.

See more on Whale Shark on ARKive.
Google Image Search On Whale Shark.

People for Animals

Endangered Species : Bears : Sun Bear

2008-05-18T10:57:00.001+05:30

>> ENDANGERED : Sun Bear(Helarctos malayanus)

The smallest of all the bear species.
Sun bears can be found in south-east Asia. The range of the sun bear population isn’t known, particularly on its eastern edge.
Inhabits both primary and logged dense lowland tropical forests.
Sun bears suffer from trapping. The cubs are often sold into the pet trade and adults killed for their body parts.
Sun bear meat is a sometimes served in restaurants. Bear paw is seen as a delicacy in some regions.

For more info on the species see ARKive.
Google Image Search on Sun Bear.

People for Animals

Endangered Species : Sharks : Ganges Sharks

2008-05-18T10:31:00.001+05:30

>> Critically Endangered.
A little-known species, lives in freshwater, inshore marine and estuarine systems.
The Ganges shark is largely restricted to the rivers of Eastern and North-Eastern India.
Appearance of a typical requiem shark. Stocky. Broadly rounded snout, with small eyes.
The shark appears to pose a threat to humans , but this has not been proven. Though some consider the Ganges shark to be "extremely dangerous", it has so far been impossible to separate its attacks from those of Bull Sharks.

People for Animals

Help me save the turtles

2008-05-15T09:41:00.002+05:30

Hi ,

I've just written to Ratan Tata asking him to not to go ahead with building a port in Dhamra, Orissa, dangerously close to one of the world's largest sea turtle nesting grounds for the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. I think its a good idea for Mr. Tata to move the port to another location rather than endanger the turtles.

By living up to the Tatas' environmental legacy, Ratan won't just save the highly-endangered Olive Ridley Turtles, he will also end up making Tata a better company.

The only problem is that I can't bring about that change alone. I need help from lots of people, especially you.

Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan by clicking here

Thanks a million,
;krishanrawat@gmail.com

People for Animals

Better Dog Nutrition Tips

2008-05-14T16:17:00.002+05:30

If you would like to gradually improve your canine companion’s diet but are not quite ready to cook a doggie stew every few days, here are a few easy changes to make.

• Water: One of the easiest things to change is your dog’s water supply. Author Pat Lazarus strongly recommends buying a water filter to attach to your faucet.

• Veggies and Fruits: These should equal one-third of the daily diet. Use raw or cooked veggies: beans, split peas, lentils, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli are good. Add raw, cut-up fruit occasionally. Organic, unsprayed produce is best.

• Garlic: Garlic is used widely for animals with various conditions. It can help build the immune system and is a good flea and worm repellent, but it may cause anemia if given for long periods of time. Adding a crushed clove of garlic to your dog’s food every day is appropriate.

• Dairy: Raw eggs and cottage cheese. Other possible additions are yogurt and cheddar-type cheese. All provide protein and iron.

• Grains: Cooked grains should equal one-third of a dog’s diet. A few appropriate choices are barley, brown rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, cornmeal and, even, crumbled whole wheat bread. These provide carbohydrates.

• Vitamins: Lazarus would add more of vitamins C and E to a general multiple supplement. In fact, many dog specialists recommend additional vitamin C. Vitamin B is also vital for a healthy immune system and can be found in brewer’s yeast, another possible daily additive. However, adding arbitrary supplements of vitamins or minerals is generally not recommended without consulting your veterinarian.

• Oil: Many veterinarians and breeders recommend a tablespoon or two a day of vegetable or canola oil, especially for a dry coat or skin. However, oil may add calories.

People for Animals via care2.com

5 Reasons to be a vegetarian !! Go VEGAN

2008-05-07T09:49:00.001+05:30

1) The RELIGIOUS reason
Every religion from Hinduism and Buddhism to Islam and Christianity teaches compassion to all living beings. Animals were created for the same reason as humans, to live. Not to be killed and eaten. It ill becomes us to invoke in our daily prayers the blessings of a compassionate God if we in turn will not practise elementary compassion towards our fellow creatures.

2) The KARMIC reason
All of our actions including our choice of food have karmic consequences. According to the law of karma, if we cause pain and suffering to other living beings, we must endure pain and suffering in return, both individually and collectively. We reap what we sow, in this life and the next, for nature has her own justice. By involving oneself in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death by eating other creatures, one will in the future, experience their suffering in equal measure.

3) The SPIRITUAL reason
Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest affects our consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns. If one wants to live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness and love, then one cannot eat meat, fish, fowl or eggs. The methods used in large modern farms to raise and kill animals causes them immense pain and terror. They are given hormones and antibiotics which biochemists have confirmed end up in and influence the body of those who consume meat. In a very real way, we are ingesting the powerful chemical components of fear, and rage. Absorbing these contributes to a violent mentality perpetuating the cycle of cruelty and confusion. If children are raised as vegetarians, every day they are exposed to noninjury as a principle of peace and compassion. Every day they are growing up, they are remembering and being reminded to not kill. When you won't kill another creature to feed yourself, you will be much less likely to injure anybody at all.

4) The HEALTH reason
Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest, provides a wider range of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and impurities on the body. Meat eating women have a 3.6 times higher risk of breast cancer while meat eating men have a 3.8 times higher risk of prostrate cancer. Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the major diseases that afflict contemporary humanity, and live longer, healthier, more productive lives. They have fewer physical complaints, less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental problems and smaller medical bills. Their immune system is stronger, their bodies are purer, more refined and their skin more beautiful.

5) The ECOLOGICAL reason
Planet earth is suffering. In large measure, the escalating loss of species, destruction of rain forests , loss of topsoil and the increase in water and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of meat in the human diet. Meat is the single greatest reason for deforestation worldwide with 55sq ft of tropical rain forest consumed to produce every quarter-pounder hamburger. A major contributor to global warming is methane produced by animals multiplied for meat. With over 6 billion people grazing the earth today, the future of life on earth rests on our choice of food. No single decision that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision to cut out meat. Many seeking to save the planet for future generations have made this decision for this reason and this reason alone. The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. Whatever happens to the earth will happen to the sons of the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family.

People for Animals

How can YOU save the Tiger!!

2008-05-06T02:11:00.001+05:30

Support environmental educational centers, wildlife sanctuaries and zoos in their mission to preserve and protect our treasured wildlife.
llegal trade in tiger parts needs to be stopped. Avoid tiger bone handicrafts, medicines and other tiger products to save the tiger.
The more aware you are of the status of tiger, the more effective you will be in helping to save it. You can stay informed through magazines, internet, current journals and the media.
Take action and create awareness. Organize an event that educates the public about tigers.
Start petitions by telling people about the tiger and how they are an endangered species. Ask them if they are willing to sign a piece of paper giving their name and country as well. Remember the more people sign, the more impact a petition makes.
Join a letter-writing campaign in order create awareness about the tiger's plight.
Collect or send your own donations to Tiger conservation organisations.
Start your own Tiger Club. Read books, share facts, hold an art competition, watch documentaries or organise a chat with wildlife experts.

**Note: This content originally appears at NDTV.com NEWS network

People for Animals

Tiger population rising in Ranthambore, India

2008-05-06T02:04:00.001+05:30

After a largescale fall in the tiger population in India, there is good news coming out of Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park. A 15 day tiger census is being carried out there and there's a baby boom in the park with at least 14 new cubs. The tiger census is considered crucial as three years back, the tigers were wiped out from Sariska. Poaching had also taken its toll in Ranthambore where poachers had reportedly killed a dozen tigers. But in the past two years, after stringent security measures, things are looking up. And this year's census could well reflect an upward swing in the tiger population at the park.....

For Full Report:
NDTV NEWS

People for Animals

Threats To Turtles

2008-05-01T10:27:00.001+05:30

Fishing:

Marine turtles are frequently trapped in trawler nets or caught on longline hooks. The turtles can't escape and consequently drown. Bycatch (unwanted catch) is a problem for many marine species, not just turtles. Fishing nets can now be fitted with Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) which may help to alleviate the problem.

Migration: Turtles make huge migrations between feeding and breeding sites. Loggerhead turtles, for example, have been tracked on voyages right across the Pacific creating considerable difficulty for conservationists and those conducting research into turtle populations. There is a need for a global approach to protect all migratory species that cross international marine boundaries.

Hunting: In the past, turtle featured regularly on the menus of sailors and explorers as live animals could be kept on board ships as a source of fresh meat. Although no longer part of a sea-faring diet, turtles are still hunted. The shells are used for ornaments or ground up to make traditional medicines and the meat and eggs are eaten in coastal communities and smuggled across the world as delicacies. This illegal trade continues despite being banned by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).

Predators: Although a turtle may lay hundreds of eggs at a time, the hatchlings must make a hazardous journey to reach the sea. They are preyed upon by numerous natural predators including crabs, birds, dogs, foxes, fish and marine mammals. A naturally low survival rate is diminished still further if turtle eggs are taken by humans.

Breeding age: A key factor for turtle survival is the number of adults of breeding age. Some females don't produce young until they are several decades old and they may only breed every other year, or even less frequently. If juveniles don't survive long enough to mate, turtle populations will never recover.

Habitat loss: Adult female turtles return to the beaches where they hatched to lay their eggs. Sadly, they often travel huge distances only to find human development on or near their nesting sites. Turtles are confused by artificial beachfront lighting which causes hatchlings to crawl inland instead of heading for the sea. Once stranded on land, they are usually eaten by predators. PollutionThe health of the ocean environment is important for all marine species.

Pollution: from human activity often ends up in the sea. Because turtles may live for up to 100 years, pollutants such as PCBs build up in their bodies and a chemical cocktail is passed on to their eggs. Litter also causes chaos. Plastic bags are a particular problem as turtles mistake them for jellyfish and swallow them. The bags get caught in the digestive tract and cause the turtles to starve.

People for Animals

Asian Elephants

2008-04-25T23:01:00.001+05:30

Asian elephants used to range from Iraq to China's Yellow River. Now they are found from India to Vietnam with a very small population in south west China. The WWF estimates there are between 25,600 and 32,750 individual Asian elephants left in the wild. The biggest population is in India. Sri Lanka was once recognised for its large elephant population, but numbers are falling. The most recently identified subspecies, the Borneo 'pygmy elephant' has been estimated to number 1,500 or fewer. Habitat loss is the greatest threat to Asian elephants and their seasonal migrations are now almost impossible because of human settlement along their traditional routes.Besides the wild population there are many thousands of domesticated elephants. They are used in the logging industry as a highly effective way to shift timber through forests, without the need for more road-building. Conservationists have raised concerns that some methods used to tame displaced wild elephants for use as working animals are outdated and cruel.In 1989 the Thai government banned logging following a series of landslips caused by deforestation. Although this was clearly a good idea, some 3,000 logging elephants, became unemployed overnight. The remaining forests were too small to support them and many elephants too reliant on their handlers (mahouts) to be released into the wild.In such cases, the tourist industry is the best hope. Elephants are used for trekking expeditions and other forms of tourist amusement (some even play music and paint). The best organisations treat the animals well, but there are many instances where elephants are neglected and end up begging with their mahouts on the streets of busy cities.

Source: BBC

People for Animals

Getting Extinct : On the edge : Orang-utans

2008-04-25T22:08:00.001+05:30

Orang-utans

Orang-utans are the only great apes to live outside Africa. There are thought to be fewer than 30,000 orang-utans left in the wild. The majority are spread over the three or four subspecies in Borneo. A tiny proportion live in Sumatra. The Bornean orang-utan is listed as endangered by the IUCN.The Sumatran orang-utan is the more threatened of the two species, listed as critical rather than endangered by the IUCN. This means it is 'facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future.'These solitary apes require a huge amount of space to survive. The national parks that should be safe havens are reportedly being logged illegally.The forests where they live are also threatened by growing demand for palm oil, the world's best selling vegetable oil. Clearing land to grow palm plantations is lucrative. Palm oil is in numerous everyday items – one in ten items in a supermarket, including foods and cosmetics, may contain it.80% of orang-utan habitat has already been designated for timber concessions or is vulnerable to illegal logging or habitat conversion.In November 2002, researchers from Nature Conservancy discovered a new population of orang-utans in East Kalimantan, Borneo. The group numbers between 1,000 and 2,500 and the discovery has raised hopes that the species can be saved.

Source: BBC

People for Animals

The Rare Lemur

2008-04-25T21:49:00.001+05:30

A Crowned Verreauxi Sifakas, a baby lemur born at the Paris Vincennes Zoo. Crowned Verreauxi Sifakas are lemurs originating from the North West of Madagascar, the only place where they can be found in the wild. They're partly leaf eaters, with noticeably high digestibility of insoluble fibre and relative slow transit times compared to other lemurs. Less than 20 animals of this rare sub-species are hold in captivity among European Zoos, all from Paris Zoo original colony or its breeding issues.

Source: Times Of India

Posted By: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals

Iowa Shelter Dog Nurses 9 Kittens

2008-04-24T16:02:00.001+05:30

A pooch in Burlington, Iowa, is taking care of nine kittens that lost their own mother.

Read Full story and watch video:
http://www.local10.com/family/15972844/detail.html

People for Animals

GO VEGAN >> REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING

2008-04-11T23:54:00.001+05:30

How a Vegetarian diet can reduce Global Warming!

1. It takes up to 8 kgs of grain to produce one edible kg of meat (especially beef). The same quantity of grain (rice, pulses, cereals, etc.) can keep a small family of 4 fed for a week.

2. An acre of land can produce 1250 kgs of meat or 20,000 kgs of potatoes. Hence, a shift to vegetarian diets would free much valuable land, which could be used to grow nutritious food for people, at a time when an estimated 20 million of the world's people, over half of whom are children, die annually due to hunger and its effects. Remember A non-vegetarian diet requires over 3 acres per person, whereas a total vegetarian diet requires only about a sixth of an acre.

3. While it takes about 200 liters of water to produce a kg of potatoes, it takes on an average 15,000 liters to produce a kg of meat (for animals' drinking water, irrigation of crops, processing, washing, cooking, etc.). This amount of water is equal to typical household water consumption in a month.

4. A non-vegetarian diet also wastes much energy as an average of 5 times more calories of Fuel energy is required for every calorie of food energy obtained. Whereas a vegetarian can gain up to 20 calories of food energy per calorie of fuel energy. Vegetarian diet helps reducing global warming.

5. The tremendous quantity of grains grown to feed animals requires extensive use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides. Much air and water pollution is caused by the production and use of these products.

6. The concentration of pesticides in the body fat of animals due to "biological magnification" contributes to human health problems and costs. Over half of the pesticide residues in the U.S. diet are contributed by meat, compared to only about 10 percent contributed by vegetables, fruits, and grains. Ninety-nine percent of U.S. non-vegetarian mother's milk contains significant levels of DDT, compared to only 8 percent of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk.

7. Large areas of land throughout the world have been destroyed by grazing animals. Overgrazing has been a prime cause of erosion in various parts of the world throughout history. We are losing billions of tons of soil every year.

8. By curtailing our meat consumption we could free up millions of acres of agricultural land that could be returned to forest and wild prairie, absorbing tons of CO2 in the process.

9.Non veg foods are slow to digest (any where from 36 to 48 hrs.) and this diverts blood from the brain and reduce mental sharpness.

Hence, in order to reduce the many ecological threats that increasingly threaten our nation and the world, it is essential that people move toward vegetarian diets. Such a change would have many other benefits, including improved human health, a reduction in health-care costs, and a reduction in the horrible conditions faced by the 9 billion animals that are currently slaughtered in one year in the United States alone, world over its any bodys guess.

What makes Human beings different from other species is the ability to think and adapt to situations. Of course, Non veg food is delicious and We all have our temptations, but thankfully we have been gifted with a brain that enables us to make right choices too.

People for Animals

2008-04-02T14:39:00.001+05:30

Mail From the Editor: Bob of 123greetings.com
Celebrate the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month...

Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month [April]

"It was a good thing that the dog was found," Laura explained to me, "or else she would've died from loss of blood or infection. She must have been hit by a hit-and-run driver." It's sad to hear what people do to animals. Kong was also an abandoned puppy too so I know how it feels to find a dog without an owner, collar or tags on the street. Then you get attached to it because in the back of your mind, you know that they'll be putting the poor dog down if they don't have room for it. So I took Kong home, and now he's my best friend.

Remember Seth, the guy Megan was going out with and torturing with her cooking over the holidays? Well, Seth's a veterinarian and he's doing this big drive at the animal clinic to educate people about cruelty to animals. He told me stories of what some people do to puppies, cats and dogs. If you ask me, some of this stuff is just sick. I mean how can people do this to a poor defenseless animal?!

"Next month is the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month," said Seth. "Tell your friends and neighbors about animal cruelty and spread awareness. Make sure your pets have enough food and water--not having that available to them is also a form of cruelty."

This week's Zen quote comes from Henry Bergh who founded the ASPCA in the hopes of preventing cruelty to animals. He said, "Men will be just to men when they are kind to animals."

Take care,

Bob

Editor, 123Greetings

People for Animals

Animal cruelty cases highest in West Bengal

2008-04-02T08:34:00.001+05:30

West Bengal reported the maximum number of cases under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act in the last three years followed by Delhi, the ministry of environment and forest said on Thursday. "The maximum number of cases pertaining to cruelty to animals in the country has been reported from West Bengal. Delhi stands second followed by Uttar Pradesh in this cruelty table," said a ministry report. During 2006-07, West Bengal reported more than 17,000 cases and the total figure is above 40,000 for the last three years. The national capital known for its cattle menace, has reported 1,826, 1,572 and 1,389 cases respectively in each of the past three years. "During the same period, less than 4,000 cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh. 1,541 cases were reported during 2004-05, 1296 cases during 2005-06 and 1127 cases were reported during 2006-07 in Uttar Pradesh," the report said. Likewise, 255 cases of animal cruelty were reported in Haryana during 2006-07, 79 in Kerala, 71 in Andhra Pradesh and 65 in Chhattisgarh. However, the ministry did not spell out the type of cruelty meted to the animals in these states. The number of people convicted for this was highest in Uttar Pradesh followed by Delhi and West Bengal. At least 4,265 people were convicted during 2004-05, 3,338 during 2005-06, and 3,037 during 2006-07 in Uttar Pradesh. The PCA was enacted by the central government to prevent infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals. The Animal welfare Board of India (AWBI), the statutory body under the ministry of environment and forests, addresses all state governments to enforce the provisions regarding cruelties to animals and to book the offenders suitably.

Source: TOI

People for Animals

King Penguin In Danger

2008-03-29T09:53:00.001+05:30

King penguins, that feed on fish and squid at the northern edges of Antarctica, are seen in this undated handout photo. King penguins are threatened by global warming, which is cutting down their food supply. King penguins are the second largest species after emperor penguins. (Reuters Photo)

Source: Times Of India

Contributor: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals

Under Threat!!

2008-03-29T09:49:00.001+05:30

Indian villagers collect prawn shrimps from a river bank in the Sunderbans, some 125 kms south east of Kolkata. The delta of Sunderbans, the world's largest mangrove forest covering 26,000 square kilometres in India and neighbouring Bangladesh, is under threat of rising sea levels of some 3 mm per year. Environmentalists says that the planting of mangroves can protect the unique forest which is also the habitat of Royal Bengal Tigers. (AFP PHOTO)

Source: Times Of India

Contributor: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals

Whaling Effect!!

2008-03-29T09:45:00.001+05:30

A Minke whale and her calf being towed up the rear ramp of the Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean. Australia released pictures of whales killed by a Japanese fleet ahead of a possible legal challenge to stop the annual slaughter, fuelling public anger over the practice. A photo of an adult Minke whale and her calf being towed up the rear ramp of a Japanese factory processing ship in Antarctic waters prompted headlines including 'They call it science'. (Reuters Photo)

Source: Times Of India

Contributor: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals

Bears Under Threat

2008-03-29T09:41:00.001+05:30

Wildlife scientists say the accelerated loss of arctic sea ice may cause polar bears to disappear in the next 50 years. Polar Bears International and the San Diego Zoo announced a new alliance 31 January 2008 to establish a conservation program, 'Arctic Ambassadors', that will generate scientific information to support conservation, it will become a vanguard messenger for the polar bear conservation crisis and the threats facing the arctic and the globe due to climate change. (AFP Photo)

People for Animals

The Small Friend : Sumatran Elephant

2008-03-23T08:38:00.002+05:30

Sumatran elephant, the smallest of the Asian elephants, is facing serious pressures due to illegal logging and rapid forests conversion to palm oil plantations. As forests shrink, elephants are increasingly closer to fields and cultivated land, generating conflict with humans that often result in the death of the elephants by poisoning or capture. The Minas Elephant Training Centre in Indonesia protects more than 40 elephants from around 200 elephants in Riau's forests. (Reuters Photo)

Source: Times Of India

People for Animals

Buffalo Homage

2008-03-23T08:23:00.001+05:30

A Thai monk gestures in front of thousands of water buffalo skulls collected at Wat Hua Krabeu temple on the outskirts of Bangkok. Shaded under simple tarmac shelters, thousands of water buffalo skulls are stacked in piles that tower over two metres high, a grim homage to an animal that was once an iconic part of Thailand's landscape. The kingdom has about 1.3 million buffaloes, down from 4.7 million in 1990. Phra Khru Wiboonpattankit has been collecting the skulls for more than 35 years. He hopes eventually to have enough to build a three-storey tower that will house a memorial to the beast. (AFP Photo)

People for Animals

First Aid

2008-03-22T09:57:00.001+05:30

Maggoted wounds are most common to be seen in stray dogs. . With a little bit of learning and experience you can heal them yourselfs! Contact your local vet to teach you how to use injections and medicines. This is how we heal maggot wounds.

1) First of all put a leash in the neck to restrain the dog.

2) Then put some turpentine oil (medical not the paint one) directly on the wound and ensure that the whole of the wound is engorged with turpentine. If possible plug the wound with a cotton swab soaked in turpentine.

3) Then inject "Ivermectine" SC (Subcutaneous) 1ml per 50kg body weight. Please learn how to use injections from your vet.

4) A strong antibiotic should be given as well. Amikacin is a good choice. Give 100 mg to an adult IM (intramuscular) or SC (Subcutaneous).

5) Injection Ivermectin may be repeated after 48 hrs. and a third dose may be given after one week if required.Daily dose of anti biotic alongwith application of turpentine will help in healing the wound fast..

6) If the dog is aggressive you can calm him by using tranquilizers. Please dont use them unless you are experienced.

Deep seated maggoted wounds or wounds in ears, skull and some other portions of the body are almost impossible to heal especially if the patient is a stray. So the voice of humanity is EUTHANASIA (PTS). Call a doctor as early as possible.

People for Animals

2008-03-21T03:31:00.002+05:30

Over 5,000 turtles killed in Orissa since '07

BHUBANESWAR: Despite a ban on fishing along Orissa coast, a large number of rare Olive Ridley Turtles were killed and their carcasses found scattered on the beaches from Chilika lake to Paradip port, official sources said.

While conservation groups claimed that at least 12,000 turtles were killed from November 2007 till date, the state government put the figure at 5,000.

Over two lakh turtles visit Orissa coast every year for annual nesting. They lay eggs at Gahirmatha beach, Devi region and Rusikulya river mouth.

According to international NGO, Greenpeace, over 4,000 carcasses were found in Devi region alone till February.

"This is well above the average mortality figure of 2,470 recorded in the area in the last seven years", Sanjiv Gopal, oceans campaigner of Greenpeace said.

The conservation group apprehends that turtle mortality could be more than the previous years with two months still left for completion of the nesting season of turtles.

While lauding forest department for containing turtle mortality in Rushikulya river mouth, Greenpeace alleged that it had failed in checking movement of trawlers in Devi region.

Gopal alleged that a large number of turtles were killed due to unchecked trawler movement near shore water disrupting turtle congregation leading to their death.

The claims of the conservation group were supported by the Wildlife Society of Orissa which also blamed the state government for the large scale turtle mortality in the state's coast.

Contributed By: Nikhil Jain

Source : Internet

People for Animals

From food to fad: It’s a dog’s life in China

2008-03-18T08:12:00.001+05:30

Despite the emergence of Western-style pet rearing, dog meat remains a popular winter cuisine in parts of China. Beijing has more than 120 restaurants serving dog meat, although recent media reports say that many are closing as the city tries to change its image before it hosts the Olympic Games in August. Known as “fragrant meat”, dog meat is purported to have medicinal benefits and improve blood circulation in winter. REUTERS

Guangzhou: If you’re a dog in China then you’d better hope to be of the cute and furry variety sold in pet shops rather than a homely-looking mutt sold at a live animal market as the main ingredient in dog meat stew.
“We still eat dog, but not this kind of dog,” Liu Ming, a pet shop salesman said, pointing to a toffee-colored puppy with floppy ears on sale for about 500 yuan or $70. “We eat much bigger dogs”. Keeping pets is becoming all the rage among the affluent in China, even though some Chinese still consume dog and cat meat.
Combined spending on pet food and pet care in China will be worth an estimated $870 million in 2008, according to Euromonitor International. That’s up roughly 15% from the $757 million spent in 2007. “In China, more and more people are raising pets. It’s not as difficult as before,” Liu said, as curious onlookers crowded his stall in a dusty street of the southern boomtown of Guangzhou.
One thing is certain: the old belief that pets are a bourgeois indulgence held during the rule of Mao Zedong no longer has currency in the booming economy of the world’s most populous country.
In the marquee cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, a growing nouveauriche class even sees pets — particularly dogs — as fashion items, outfitting them in designer clothing, paying for spa treatments and dyeing their fur unnatural colors.
That trend, experts say, is a stark contrast to the tradition of eating everything from silkworms to pangolins.
“In Beijing, there’s a huge market with pitiful dogs waiting in cages to be sold as meat, and literally a few yards away standard poodles dyed in all colors of the rainbow,” said Jill Robinson, CEO of Animals Asia Foundation, a Hong-Kong based animal welfare charity.
China’s thriving industry of fake designer goods is even taking on designer doggywear. In Guangzhou, hawkers sell fake Louis Vuitton dog carriers as a dog in a faux Louis Vuitton sweater naps nearby on the dusty sidewalk.

THE LUCKY ONES: Pet dogs are displayed for sale on a street in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou

TOI : 18March'08

People for Animals

Say No to Cruelty to Animals in China Petition

2008-03-13T00:59:00.001+05:30

Say No to Cruelty to Animals in China Petition

People for Animals

Boycott China For Animal Cruelty

2008-03-12T09:22:00.001+05:30

Link to Petition Online
Petition Says:

To: EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Do you happen to know what torture the cats are going through? Cats are tortured! These animals are either skinned alive, suffocated, hung, clubbed, beaten, or they died from bleeding to death. I personally feel that this is wrong, and I think everyone agrees with me. These countries are doing this to these poor animals. China, Philippines, and Thailand export there fur to France, German, Italy, the United States, and other countries. You could right now be wearing a cat. The fur is used in gloves, toys, and to trim coats. Have you ever bought something called Mountain Cat fur? China makes up names such at that to keep people from thinking that there actually buying cat fur! Cats are loving caring creatures and I believe that they do not deserve this sort of torture! So please, sign this petition. Also, if you can please tell everyone you know about this horrible cat fur trade then it would be very helpful! Boycott China for animal cruelty! Sign the petition!

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

You can navigate to the link below to Sign below:

http://www.petitiononline.com/savecats/petition.html

People for Animals

SEAL HUNT

2008-03-10T14:14:00.001+05:30

URGENT CAMPAIGN

Another blood bath is coming in the spring of 2008...

In 2007, the DFO authorized to kill 270,000 baby harp seals ( plus 8,200 hooded seals and 9,000 grey seals!), despite the pleas of animal welfare organizations worldwide and countries to not have the seal cull last year !

During the early spring 2007, over 260,000 Harp seal pups drowned in the Gulf of St. Lawrence due to lack of ice. On the Atlantic side "The Front" (the waters off New Foundland and Labrador), the ice conditions were a bit better, but thousands of baby seals perished too.

This unethical action of the Canadian Government, only convinced more country members of the European Union, to join the ban of all Canadian seal products.

STOP THE SEAL HUNT IN CANADA !

Every Spring on the Eastern coast of Canada, the hunters, armed with clubs and hagapiks, beat to death hundreds of thousands baby harp seals, but also hooded and grey pup seals.

A 98 % of the baby seals killed are between 14 days to 12 weeks old.

The most shocking evidence comes from 2001, when an international team of Veterinarians who witnessed the hunt, perfomed post-mortem examinations among some carcasses chosen randomly and proved that a 42% of those seals were skinned alive !!!

(Pls, check this link for the full report info: http://infurmation.com/pdf/fielder01.pdf )

This is the largest mammal killing in the world and there is no excuse for such a massacre and torture of these beautiful living beings. It only gives Canada a bad name as a primitive nation profiting from the fur of baby seals.

This year, by late March or early April, the Canadian seal killers armed with clubs and rifles will go again to the nursery floes of the harp and hood seal, to massacre them in the largest mass slaughter of marine mammals on this planet!

Over a MILLION seals have been killed within 4 years (and not counting the baby seals, struck and lost...).

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO STOP THIS SEAL HUNT, GO TO SEAL BAN + the eight following webpages:

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/BanCanadiansealsproducts.html English

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/Fok.html Polish

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/listsealban2008.html

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/sealban2.html

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/lsban3.html

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/sbeu4.html

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/sbleu5.html

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/EUSB6.html

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/EUSBL7.html

http://www.catcahelpanimals.org/EUsbl8.html

Source: CATCA

People for Animals

Turtles Begin Mass Nesting

2008-03-07T10:31:00.001+05:30

Turtles begin mass nesting in Orissa

BERHAMPUR: Thousands of endangered Olive Ridley turtles have begun mass nesting on the coast of eastern Orissa state, home to the world's largest nesting site for the turtles, officials said on Wednesday.

Over 20,000 turtles came ashore for mass-nesting early on Wednesday, within a two-kilometre stretch from the mouth of the Rushikulya river in Ganjam district, a local forest department official said.

The Rushikulya river mouth is around 175 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.

For more than a decade, the beach at the Rushikulya river mouth has been witnessing mass arrival of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles. But the turtles did not land here last year, the official said.

The turtles, which this year have already congregated in the sea near the nesting site, came ashore in groups, with around 5,000 to 10,000 turtles in each group.

There are three mass nesting sites of turtles in Orissa: Nasi Islands in Gahirmatha, Devi river mouth and Rushikulya river mouth.

However, no mass nesting has been reported from the other two beaches so far, although turtles are seen swimming near the coast, a wildlife official said.

The Rushikulya river mouth is the only place along the coast where turtles are safe from marauding trawlers, said Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of the NGO Wildlife Society of Orissa.

Contributed By: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals

Animal Rights in China.. A small voice calling

2008-03-06T16:16:00.001+05:30

Animal rights in China

A small voice calling

The stirrings of a new protest movement

Human rights, or the lack of them, have long been a focus of China's critics at home and abroad. But a new rights movement—complete with idealistic local and foreign campaigners—is stirring: animal rights.

Animals are treated dreadfully in Chinese farms, laboratories, zoos and elsewhere. There are grim factories where thousands of live bears in tiny cages are tapped for medicinal bile. At safari parks, live sheep and poultry are fed to lions as spectators cheer. At farms and in slaughterhouses, animals are killed with little concern for their suffering.

According to Zhou Ping, of China's legislature, the National People's Congress, few Chinese accept that animals have any rights at all. She thinks it is time they did, and in 2006 put forward China's first national animal-welfare law. Her proposal got nowhere........

People for Animals

China's Dog Meat Trade

2008-03-06T16:14:00.001+05:30

China's Dog Meat Trade

The shocking truth that shames the Olympic hosts

China’s multibillion dollar cleanup of Beijing ahead of its 2008 summer Olympic Games has been widely publicised. Eager to stage a “green” Games and present a new face to the watching world, the authorities have accomplished 20 environmental targets in Beijing including relocating 200 factories to reduce the city’s chronic air pollution and building a wind farm on its outskirts.

Far less well known is Beijing’s preOlympics closure of its many dog meat restaurants. But then, these are places the Chinese authorities are anxious that the wider world does not see.

Common in cities across China, these roadside restaurants specialise in dishes made of almost every conceivable part of dogs including heads, legs, testicles and innards. The animals destined to be killed for the table are often kept on display outside restaurants in cramped cages.

Until recently, many if not most of these animals have been supplied by a substantial dog breeding industry. But a major undercover investigation in China by One Voice suggests that dogs being killed for meat are increasingly likely to be onetime pets or strays supplied piecemeal from various sources–indeed, some of these tragic animals are still wearing collars. Whatever their origins they are brutally slaughtered, often on the pavements outside restaurants, in ways that are an affront to civilisation in this or any other century.

Our undercover team spent three dangerous weeks infiltrating China’s dog meat industry, risking arrest by state police or worse at the hands of the sometimes shady people who lurk behind the trade. The team won the trust of three dog meat restaurants and a dog processing factory to gather information and film images of the horrifying cruelty caused by this vile industry. They found atrocities at every turn, atrocities One Voice hopes will persuade the world to join its call for China to introduce animal protection laws. For here is a supposedly modern nation that can host an Olympics, yet has no animal welfare legislation whatsoever.(...)

We were shown the outdoor killing compound, where two dozen bedraggled looking small to medium dogs were crowded into two cages. Nearby was a covered area with hanging racks, a blooddraining area, depelter, soaking bath and a boiling pot, with freezer rooms packed with dog meat and body parts, including skinned heads and testicles.

The caged dogs were shaking pitifully: their terror was well founded. Using long neck pliers, a worker dragged one struggling dog from its cage and battered it unconscious with blows to the head and muzzle. He dragged it to the killing area, stood on its head, inserted a finger into its neck and bled the animal, which shuddered spasmodically as its blood gushed across the concrete. Despite this it remained alive. The butcher left it lying in unimaginable distress and pain for seven agonising minutes while he killed several other dogs. Then, finally, he battered it to death and put its body in the boiling pot to loosen the fur. “The fur won’t come off if a dog’s still alive when you boil it,” we were told.....

Source/Quelle: China's Dog Meat Trade

Link: French animal lovers launch Olympic petition/protest over China killing dogs for food
Link: Petition

STOP THE ANIMAL CRUELTY
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS IS A SIN
PLEASE DONT BE CRUEL TO ANIMALS, ANIMALS ARE ALSO GOD'S CREATIONS
STOP THIS TRADE FOR ANIMAL FOOD, PRODUCTS AND DERIVATIVES

-- PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS, JAIPUR INITIATIVE

Initiated by Ritesh Rawat
Co-ordinator, PFA

People for Animals