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Updated:
15-Aug-2008
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Updated:
15-Aug-2008
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World Animal Day (NEW)
Animal welfare campaigns (NEW)
Latest news...
Don’t forget to Celebrate World Animal Day, 4 October 2008
Several campaigns are currently inviting your support.
Watch the videos (on http://www.animalsaustralia.org) of what actually happens to the animals - you’ll be appalled at the cruelty.
Live animal export
Not only do the sheep suffer during transport to the Middle East, but once they are there, they are treated with incredible cruelty by the Arabs. Animal welfare observers have seen them being dragged by their legs, thrown into vehicles, jammed into vehicles on their heads and worse, yet our government allows this cruel trade to continue.
Pig factory farming
Laws have failed to protect millions of pigs each year from acts of cruelty. The ability of these intelligent and sensitive animals to suffer is no different to the family dog. Despite this, consecutive governments have provided legal exceptions to pig farmers to prevent them from being prosecuted for animal cruelty so that they can maximize their profits.
Battery hen campaign
Experts agree that chickens are not only highly social animals, but they are remarkably intelligent as well. Yet every year, almost half a billion of these sensitive birds are confined in factory farms in Australia. Over 75% of eggs sold in Australia still come from hens in battery cages.
Say ‘No’ to plastic bags
Few shoppers stop to consider that plastic bags are responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 marine animals every year. This campaign draws attention to the 5.6 billion plastic bags used yearly by Australians.
Animals Australia has material for these campaigns available on their website at http://www.animalsaustralia.org
New site to promote a vegetarian lifestyle
What if you discovered that there was a simple way to save the lives of 100 animals every year, save 5 million litres of water, cut greenhouse gas emissions and significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes and cancer?
Animals Australia’s new website, http://whyveg.com/ provides information on how vegetarianism benefits animals, our planet and our own health. It also provides advice on transitioning to a vegetarian diet and recipes.
Despite representation from many animal welfare organisations, live animals are still being transported by the thousand from Australia to the Middle East. Despite reassurances to the contrary, the countries receiving these shipments do not have the same values about animal welfare that most Australians share and nor do they have the strictly supervised laws that Australia has about humane slaughtering. As a result, many animals shipped to the Middle East are treated cruelly and inhumanely.
Animals Australia investigators have provided overwhelming evidence that cruel treatment of animals is widespread and routine. They have posted a recent video on their website documenting their observations. You can view it on
http://www.the-kindness-campaign.net/vote_against_animal_cruelty/
They are also inviting people to contact all leading politicians to voice concern about live animal export and have an email on their website that can be used for immediate action.
The unity of all life and animal welfare
One of the cornerstones of a theosophical world view is the concept of the unity of all life; that the Universal life force or energy flows through everything in the manifested world. We are brothers and sisters not only to our human fellows, but to the stars, to our planet and to all that share its surface. Our challenge is to extend our sense of brotherhood to include animal life and reflect this in our day-to-day actions.
Many of us share a sense of compassion for the companion animals in our communities and extend that to the world’s wildlife. We are concerned and often spurred to action when we hear about horrific cases of cruelty in our Australian communities and overseas. In the face of reports from the RSPCA of the shocking increase in the number of animals arriving at shelters (a growth of almost 10,000 animals in the past year in Queensland alone), we recognise the importance of educating people about responsible behaviour. The increase in violence towards animals in Australia is particularly worrying because there is a strong link between cruelty to animals and domestic violence.
Education about the actual cruelty inflicted on animals and viable alternatives is also the key to many successful campaigns related to animal derived products. Milking moon bears for the bile used in some Chinese medicines, factory farming and live sheep exports are current focuses for action in many animal welfare groups we can support.
Scientific evidence also provides support for challenging practices such as whaling. A recent report in New Scientist explained that spindle cells had been found in the brains of a number of species of whales – and in the same part of the brain as in humans. They occur in the part of the brain that in humans is linked to social organisation, empathy, speech and intuition about the feelings of others. It appears that whales could share potentials thought to be unique to humans and our closest primate relatives.
But while sharing emotional and intellectual capacities makes it easy for us to recognise that we should not exploit some animal species, it is not the underlying reason from a theosophical point of view. It is this wider recognition that one life flows through us all that leads some people to make a decision to become vegetarian. The healthy lives of many people world-wide is evidence that we do not need to kill animals to eat.
Perhaps the most difficult dilemma facing us today is the moral issue of whether or not we have the right to exploit animals to help maintain our health. Increasingly our society is faced with life-style related illnesses treated with drugs and surgery. At the same time millions of animals are used annually in medical and drug company research. Many of these animals are bred with genetic modifications to suit particular research. Although most countries have requirements for the care of laboratory animals, the reality is that most experience pain and are killed. The moral dilemma for us comes when we need to make treatment choices for our own well-being, drawing on the results of this research. Do we have the right to exploit small animals for the sake of maintaining the human physical body?
It is a question we can only answer individually.
Action towards animal life that is motivated by love and compassion is our aim
Sharing ideas about animal welfare activities
There are a wide range of opportunities to become active in animal welfare work in our communities and our lives. Some of them are individual actions based on our beliefs in the oneness of all life. Others involve us in service work through any of the range of groups that work for animal welfare in Australia and overseas. Below are a number of ideas for putting our philosophy into action:
Working as a volunteer in a local animal refuge.
Raising money or seeking sponsorship for needed equipment or food for a local animal refuge.
Being a responsible companion animal carer and educating others to be likewise.
Supporting campaigns for political action on animal welfare issues by writing letters, donating funds for publicity and giving information to friends or members of the wider community. Groups currently campaigning include RSPCA, Humane Society International, International Fund for Animal Welfare, World Wide Fund for Nature & Animals Asia Foundation. Some of these groups are active in providing help to animals in need as a result of natural disasters and war. Go to their websites for latest news on activities.
Educating ourselves about issues related to endangered species and bio-diversity and supporting campaigns to promote awareness and positive action.
Reading labels carefully, to ensure we never buy products that have been tested on animals and encouraging our friends to do the same.
Ensuring that we don’t buy fur and products from endangered and protected species. This needs particular caution because some toys and clothing items from Asia use cat or other animal fur rather than synthetic material.
Ensuring that we don't buy medicines, teas or tonics containing animal parts.
Educating others about the cruelty involved in testing products on animals.
Making brochures on issues such as factory farming, export of live stock, product testing on animals and the use of animals in research available where they can be readily accessed by members and visitors. Many animal welfare groups provide brochures free of charge.
Reporting acts of animal cruelty.
Supporting the Animal Welfare Centre at Adyar with donations.
Considering a vegetarian diet as a healthy alternative to the usual Western diet.
Buying rennet-free cheese.
Writing to companies that still test products on animals, telling them why you won’t be buying their products and pointing out that products of equivalent quality but produced without cruelty are on your shopping list.
Constantly remind yourself, ‘I am a member of the whole body of conscious things.” - Marcus Aurelius
Manufacturers that don’t use animal testing
One easy but powerful way of expressing our unity with and compassion for the animal kingdom is to ensure that we only buy household and personal products that are not tested on animals. You can make sure you avoid animal tested products by going to the Choose Cruelty Free website:
www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au
and using the Preferred Products List.
Links to animal welfare organisation websites
Animal Aid www.animalaid.org.uk
Animals Asia Foundation www.animalsasia.org
Animal Welfare Centre, Theosophical Society, Adyar
www.ts-adyar.org/headquarters.html#education
Humane Society International www.hsi.org.au
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals www.rspca.org.au
Whales revenge is trying to get a million people to sign a petition to stop whaling. www.whalesrevenge.com
Join a global advocacy network
Signing up for a "Panda Passport" is a simple and effective strategy that costs you nothing but enables you to make a dramatic difference. As a "Panda Passport" holder, when there is an urgent call to action you receive an email that enables you to quickly and efficiently become part of that action. Sometimes you are emailed a letter that you can print and post. At other times it may be an on-line petition to sign. You will be at the heart of the action and part of a global network of people who share your concerns.
You can become a "Panda Passport" holder by logging on to www.passport.panda.org
Sign an on-line petition to end whaling and stop the slaughter --