Update, 9/2/09: Please see the newest update here.

————————

This is an update to yesterday’s alert.

For minute-by-minute CA animal rescue news, follow these accounts on Twitter: SPCALA, SPCALAPresident, VeganAvenger, and VeganInLA – and check out the hasgtags #station, #LA and #DART.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Subject: UPDATE – Standby Volunteers For Animal Acres Now

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK
8/31/09: UPDATE – Standby Volunteers Needed Now
Animal Acres Preps For 2nd Evacuation As Fire Nears

Sanctuary critters at Animal Acres: www.animalacres.org/gallery.html

TO BE AN ANIMALS ACRES STANDBY VOLUNTEER:

KINSHIP CIRCLE is recruiting/managing standby volunteers for Animal Acres
SEND INFO BELOW TO: info [at] kinshipcircle.org

- FIRST & LAST NAME:
- PHONE NUMBERS:
- EMAIL ADDRESS:
- FULL ADDRESS:
SUBJECT LINE: Animal Acres Volunteer

50/50 CHANCE ANIMAL ACRES NEEDS TO RE-EVACUATE ANIMALS

8/31/09 — AUTHORIZED BY FRANK ALLEN, ANIMAL ACRES
Susie V Kaufman, Animal Acres Evacuation Coordinator, susie [at] jarrettlennon.com

Evacuation Site #2 is now potentially in the path of the Station Fire, which is heading due north towards Palmdale (where all the animals, except sheep and goats, are). The sheep and goats are still at Animal Acres.

As of 2:07PM, Monday, 31 August 2009, Frank Allen has asked everyone to be on alert for a second evacuation. He has also asked that NO ONE CALL HIM. Instead, he wants everyone to be on strong standby, and await a phone call and/or email to deploy.

ADDRESS FOR EVACUATION SITE #2 IS:
10955 Hillview Lane
Littlerock, California 93543

DIRECTIONS TO EVACUATION SITE #2 FROM LOS ANGELES AREA:
- 5 or 405 or 210 to…
- Highway 14 toward Palmdale
- Exit 30 (Pearblossom Hwy) – 0.7 miles
- Merge onto Sierra Hwy – 0.8 miles
- Continue on Pearblossom Hwy – 4.5 miles
- Slight right at 138/Pearblossom Hwy – 5.8 miles
- Turn right at 106th St E – 2.1 miles
- Turn left at Butterfield Stage Rd – 0.2 miles
- Slight left at Hillview Lane – 0.2 miles
- Turn left – evacuation site on right – 213 feet

All exits on the 14 have been closed since yesterday. HOWEVER, Animal Acres evacuation helpers now have official permission to cross the blockade. When you reach the exit, approach one of the CHP blockade officers, identify yourself, and explain that you’re there to help with the re-evacuation.

TO BE AN ANIMALS ACRES STANDBY VOLUNTEER:
Email info [at] kinshipcircle.org
- FIRST & LAST NAME:
- PHONE NUMBERS:
- EMAIL ADDRESS:
- FULL ADDRESS:
SUBJECT LINE: Animal Acres Volunteer

(more…)

She may look sweet and innocent here, but as I type this, Kaylee is dancing around my feet, woofing up a storm, for no discernible reason other than that she’s a pushy old broad. Did I mention that it’s getting late and my head hurts?

It’s been crazy ’round these parts the past few weeks, and as light as posting has been, my blogging will probably wane even more with the high summer temps. Shane and I have a number of outdoor projects we’d like to finish before winter (winter, ack! no want!), and even though we’ve finally admitted defeat and called in the pros to knock out some tasks,

I so hate that I paid someone to cut down trees. Hey, don’t look at me like that. It was euthanasia, not biocide.

there’s still plenty to do.

I wonder what the previous homeowners would say if they knew we removed 50% of the landscaping they constructed?

If I never have to build a rock wall again, I’ll die a happy vegan.

(more…)

Update, 9/2/09: Please see the newest update here.

————————

Update, 8/31/09: Please see Kinship Circle’s most recent update here.

———————–

I know it’s late, so I’ll make this quick: several animal rescue organizations, specifically Animal Acres (as described below by Kinship Circle) and possibly Gentle Barn (below KC’s alert) and others, need help evacuating from the California wildfires. If you’re in or near the area and able to help, keep reading. Otherwise, please spread the word to those who can provide assistance. Please and thank you.

Also, you can keep up to date on what’s happening on Twitter; try the hashtags #fire, #wildfires, #la, #evacuation and the like. At the time of this writing, none are trending topics, though hopefully that will change as people start to mobilize.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Sun, Aug 30, 2009 at 6:35 PM
Subject: Animal Acres Evacuates In Path Of Calif. Fires

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

8/30/09: Animal Acres Evacuates In The Path Of Calif. Fires

1. California Wildfires Move NW, Toward Animal Acres
2. Be On Emergency Standby With Animal Acres
3. Supplies/Equipment/Volunteers Needed For Animal Acres

Pets get help as flames approach: Rose Mary Berman of Palos Verdes Estates feeds a carrot to Norman one of 15 horses evacuated to Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates. Donna Littlejohn/Daily Breeze,

www.dailybreeze.com/latestnews/ci_13226056

============================

1. California Wildfires Move NW, Toward Animal Acres

8/29/09 – 8/30/09, PRESENT SITUATION / NOTES:

Fire moves toward Acton as officials hope for lower temperatures:

The strongest part of the Station fire burning in Angeles National Forest and La Canada Flintridge area is moving northwest of the park toward Acton, California, said Jennifer Sanchez of the U.S. Forest Service. [ANIMAL ACRES IS LOCATED IN ACTON]. Evacuations for some Acton residents are in place…

Since it began 8/26/09, the Station fire has burned 35,200 acres and prompted mandatory evacuations of 10,000 homes, according to Forest Service.

www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-08/48663340.jpg

AUTHORIZED BY FRANK ALLEN, ANIMAL ACRES
Susie V Kaufman, Animal Acres Evacuation Coordinator
susie [at] jarrettlennon.com

8/30/09 — There is a mandatory evacuation in order on the northeast side of Acton. Animal Acres has begun the evacuation process. Currently, horses and donkeys are in the initial process of being moved from Animal Acres to Evacuation Site #2. The following is still only POSSIBLE: The next to be moved will be cows, followed by sheep, goats, and pigs, then birds. They will be moved to Evacuation Site #1. I know nothing about the emus.

(more…)

Action Alerts: Animal & Environmental Advocacy

1Sky: Tell the President: Lead Congress to Pass a Strong Clean Energy Bill

AAVS: Stand Up For Great Apes

Animal Person: On the Land Grant University Meat Problem

Animal Person: On Food for the Soul

Animal Rights @ Change .org: Shot for a Tulip? Say NO to Cayuga Heights NY’s deer-killing plan

Animal Rights @ Change .org: Stop Killing In Our Cemetery

Animal Rights @ Change .org: Send a clear message to your elected officials banning horse-drawn carriages!

Center for Biological Diversity: The Most Important Bill of Our Time

Center for Biological Diversity: Bats Need Urgent Help, Contact Fish and Wildlife

DawnWatch: Time Magazine cover story on cheap meat 8/31/09

(more…)

Vaute Couture –

Perhaps you’ve heard of them? They’re a vegan fashion house based in Chicago? Supportive of emerging artists, eco-friendly and cruelty-free? Founder Leanne Mai-ly Hilgar was recently named one of the “20 Under 30″ by VegNews magazine? (You remember! – the list that made the rest of us vegans feel like sorry slackers?)

- anyhow, in 2008, Vaute Couture announced that they wanted to design and launch a special new winter coat, the sale of which would benefit Farm Sanctuary. VC left the specifics of the planned peacoat up to a popular vote, which closed last October. The result? A seriously cute pea/dress coat, dubbed the Vaute Coat (and also known, quite appropriately, as the “Farm Sanctuary benefit coat”). Naturally, it’s 100% vegan and way too expensive for my pocketbook. But if you *heart* fashion and Farm Sanctuary – or *heart* someone who does (a blogger, by any chance? maybe she has a potty mouth and wears a size medium?) – the Vaute Coat would make a sweet x-mas gift, just not to die for.

Here are the details, via Farm Sanctuary:

Introducing Fall/Winter’s Must-Have Item: The First High Style + Function Coat with a Conscience

– Sales of Vaute Couture’s 100% Vegan, Ethically Produced Coat to Benefit Farm Sanctuary’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Work for Abused Farm Animals –

– Activist Fashion House on Forefront of Vegan Fashion Trend –

Chicago, IL – July 14, 2009 – When Michael Jackson sang about turning up the collar on his favorite winter coat in “Man in the Mirror,” his anthem to discovering your ethical core, he very well could have been singing about Vaute Couture’s mission to change the world one fabulously chic, vegan, eco-conscious coat at a time. This fall/winter, the Chicago-based activist fashion house is “gonna make a change” for farm animals with the launch of their limited run “Vaute” coat. Already on the wish list of conscientious fashion forward women around the world and guaranteed to become your favorite winter coat, all profits from the sale of this runway-worthy coat are being donated to Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, to support their vital mission to end cruelty to animals and promote compassionate living through rescue, education and advocacy.

(more…)

The recent spate of probiotic/fiber-filled yogurt commercials is starting to make me loathe yogurt – even the vegan kind. And I freaking adore cherry and lemon Whole Soy!

These dairy-based offenses have become so frequent that even Sarah Haskins – who has poked fun at yogurt ads not once, but twice – cannot keep up with all the stupid.

First, we have this uber-obnoxious ad from Fiber One:

In case you can’t view the video, here’s the gist: A thin, blonde, WASP-y looking woman – who, incidentally, appears to have stepped straight out of the ’80s – runs into a friend at a Fiber One sample station, located outside the supermarket’s exit. Our fair WASP is dressed head-to-toe in oversized accessories: softball-sized “pearl” earrings and necklace; a bracelet that might have been fashioned out of a mug from Central Perk; huge, Pee Wee Herman sunglasses; a purse the size of a backpack; a heart-shaped pendant nearly as big as her head. And…a large dog. A Great Dane, perhaps?

The large accessories are supposed to make her body look smaller and thinner when viewed next to their comical monstrosity. Why resort to such crazy antics, the commercial suggests, when you can just go on a semi-liquid Fiber One yogurt diet and slurp your way to an eating disorder?

Aside from the emphasis on thinness (incidentally, neither of the two women are what you’d call “fat,” yet the need for dieting is not questioned, but reinforced), there’s some pretty casual and nefarious speciesism at play here. The dog is likened to an object, a fashion accessory, a tool of sorts; something to be disposed of when no longer needed. He’s not treated as someone, but something. Earrings, necklace, bracelet, sunglasses, purse, pendant, dog: one of these things is not like the other.

The disposal of “pets,” by the by, is a pretty serious problem. Perhaps this commercial might seem like a harmless joke – but try explaining the punch line to the three to four millions cats and dogs killed in U.S. shelters each year.

Thankfully, the next offender isn’t speciesist, rather, it’s just plain stupid.

(more…)

Here’s your weekend link roundup, folks. I still intend to weigh in on a few of PETA’s recent campaigns, including the whole “Save the Whales” clusterfuck. In the meantime, I’ve probably written a week’s worth of material on other people’s blogs; see, for example, my comments on change.org, as well as on the Animals Rights Facebook wall. I hope to coalesce these into one monster blog piece sometime next week. Until then, feel free to jump into the fray, futility be damned. (Honestly – what’s with the idol worship? Since when did critical thinking, self-reflection and debate become impediments? Blind hero worship, no want!)

Also, I spent Friday afternoon remixing PETA’s billboard to better reflect my feelings, namely, “Save the ‘Whales’: Boycott PETA” (by “whales” I mean the actual whales PETA is insulting with this speciesist ad, as well as the so-called “whales” who are the most obvious target of PETA’s hate). You can download a large copy of the “Boycott PETA” billboard image here. The version included at the top of this post is a little different; I reworked the dimensions to 750×175 so that I could add it to the series of rotating banners on the website. It doesn’t really fit with the “V for Vegan” theme, but I think it looks awesome up there anyway. If you feel as I do, and like the anti-PETA banner, please download, display and share it.

And yes, I recognize the irony in decorating this post with a “Boycott PETA” banner while still linking to a number of PETA action alerts and contests. As much as I abhor how PETA spreads its message, the group still does some good work, such as with its undercover investigations and targeted email campaigns. I’ll continue to link to alerts with which I agree – and share contests as long as the giveaways are not offensive – because the animals should not suffer for PETA’s sizeism, sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, speciesism, etc., etc., etc. The Illinois deer about to be maimed and murdered by crossbows, for example, have nothing to do with PETA’s hateful rhetoric; they still need us to speak for them. We can and should lend our voices to them, while also speaking out against PETA’s “isms.”

The most effective way to do this, is to boycott the group with our pocketbooks. If you have time or money to donate, please give to a more deserving – and ethically consistent – organization, such as Peaceful Prairie, Eastern Shore, Igualdad Animal, LGBT Compassion, or PCRM.

Finally, the Humane Society of Missouri is holding its speciesist polo/BBQ fundraiser as I write. If you haven’t yet, please read Stephanie’s piece, “Fundraising for Animals by Endangering and Killing Animals,” and take action. Obviously, it’s too late to stop this year’s event, but if we keep the pressure on, hopefully we can convince them to rethink organizing similar events in the future. Since Stephanie launched the campaign, Animal Place and United Poultry Concerns have both added their voices.

Action Alerts: Animal & Environmental Advocacy

Alaska Wilderness League: President Obama: America’s Arctic Deserves Protection

Animal Rights @ Change .org: Take Action! Save the Deer of Cayuga Heights

Animals Australia: Help End the Dolphin Slaughter!

Born Free USA: 100 Americans Can Stop the “Pet” Primate Trade

Born Free USA: Stop the Trade in Bear Parts

Center for Biological Diversity: Tell Tennessee to Give Wild Turtles a Break

DawnWatch: Vick on 60 Minutes this Sunday, 8/16/09

Ecological Internet / The Rainforest Portal: Action Alert: Liberia’s Plans to Resume Industrial Primary Rainforest Logging Already Plagued by Corruption as Samling Poised to Pounce

Forest Ethics: Time is running out for caribou; Protect caribou habitat from Sears clear-cuts

Greenpeace: Make the Switch to Safer Technologies [H.R. 2868 & H.R. 3258, the chemical security bill]

(more…)

Update, 9/2/09: Carol Adams is soliciting videos for the upcoming 20th anniversary of The Sexual Politics of Meat; check out her Twitter account for more info and examples.

——————–

The Discerning Brute: EAT LIKE A MAN.

The Discerning Brute weighs in on the conflation of “meat” consumption with masculinity:

How do rabbits eat? They carefully chew Vegetation. Strangely, no man scoffs at being compared to a rabbit when it comes to sex. “Doing it like rabbits” flatters a man’s virility, yet eating a diet that supports that same rabbit’s virility is lampooned. Instead, we consume entire animals with superstitious hopes of appropriating their strengths. The cover of September 2009’s Esquire Magazine proclaims “Eat Like A Man” and leads to a sixteen-page cover-story entitled “How Men Eat”. It is a total meat-fest. A cheesy, eggy, frat party wrapped in bacon and bathed in blood.

The offending article doesn’t seem to be available on Esquire’s website, though you can read about famous chefs’ favorite fast food joints, with much love for In & Out Burger. Gag.

Er, on second thought, no gag; that’s probably the womanly reaction the meat-eating manly men at Esquire are hoping for.

Carol J. Adams: The Sexual Politics of Meat Slide Show

Carol Adams has revamped her website since last I visited. The new setup includes a blog, interviews and – best of all – a Sexual Politics of Meat slideshow.

Apparently a 20th anniversary edition of The Sexual Politics of Meat is due out this fall; since I have the 1999 edition, I’m contemplating whether I should upgrade. It’s been awhile since I’ve read them, but I preferred The Pornography of Meat, Adams’s follow-up to The Sexual Politics of Meat – it’s more visual, less theoretical/academic. Then again, I read each in my college/vegetarian days, so wtf did I know? Perhaps an ‘09 edition, with some new material, will provide an excuse to revisit Sexual Politics in my adulthood.

(more…)

Photo via Farm Sanctuary

In Friday’s weekend activist link roundup, I included a piece by Tracy @ Digging Through the Dirt, Use Twitter to Advocate on Behalf of Pigs. Tracy put out a call to animal advocates to tweet in support of the pigs on Sunday the 16th, for example, by including links to undercover investigations of factory farm operations, talking about the swine flu, encouraging people to go vegan for the animals, etc., etc., etc.. In order to piggyback (pun intended) on the anticipated success of the animal ag. propagandists, all tweets needed to include the hashtag #oink.

I’ll let Tracy explain:

Animal exploiters on Twitter hope history repeats itself Sunday.

On Aug. 2 a group of dairy farmers worked to make “#moo” a trending topic on the social-networking site. They want to do the same for “#oink” on Sunday.

With “#oink” a trending topic, those in animal agribusiness want to convince people to call swine flu “H1N1.”

If the “farmers” succeed, animal advocates can use this opportunity to raise awareness of the suffering pigs endure in agribusiness.

If enough people use a word, phrase or hashtag, said word, phrase or hashtag will appear in all Twitter users’ right-hand sidebars, under the headline “Trending Topics.” These are fluid and change on a constant basis; while some topics, such as “American Idol” or “Les Paul” are rather intuitive, others – like #moo and #oink – are less so. Whether they’re familiar with the topics or not, many Twitter users look to the Trending Topics as a guide or sort of news ticker, clicking through to weigh in on a topic, or to see what all the fuss is about.

Animal exploiters (along with other spammers), then, hijack the Trending Topics tool in order to disseminate their industry propaganda. Whereas animal exploiters hoped to “educate” Twitter users about the safety of “pork,” extol the virtues of “happy meat,” and frame the debate about swine flu/H1N1, the goal of animal advocates was to counter their message with a healthy dose of reality.

(For more on Twitter, trending topics, etc. check out this Twitter FAQ.)

I’m not a big Twitter user – the 140 character limit is enough to make me pull my hair out – but I was vaguely aware of the #moo movement. So with the advance notice about Sunday’s planned #oink takeover, I pledged to participate this time around. To make things even easier, I developed a list of Tweets and links the day beforehand, since I knew I’d be in and out of the house on Sunday. (It’s a good thing, too, since my Internet connection was spotty throughout the day on Sunday.) I added to the list, which I stored in a Word doc, throughout the day on Sunday, mostly by copying and pasting RT’s – re-tweets, that is, tweets from other animal advocates on Twitter, which I “crossposted” on my own account. I also kept an eye on the Trending Topics and adapted my hashtags as necessary. (For example, #fact became a Trending Topic later in the day, so I added it to #oink where appropriate.) Every two, ten, twenty or 120 minutes, I’d post a tweet or two, then go back to whatever it was I was doing.

Other animal advocates were even more engaged, for example, responding to followers who wanted to know what all the #oink-ing was all about, arguing directly with animal exploiters, and providing further information to those interested in a vegan diet. Stephanie at Change.org falls into the first category, and has an excellent write-up of her online animal activism over the weekend” “Vick, Dogs, Dairy, Cows, Pigs, Twitter, and the Rape Rack,” Parts One and Two. Tracy also summarizes her experience here.

In a related note, Happy Herbivore is using Twitter hashtags in a different way. In a new section of the website called Weekly Eats, HH will feature recipes submitted by Twitter users, with a different theme for each day: “meatless Mondays, tofu Tuesdays, raw Wednesdays, tempeh Thursdays, fat-free (or gluten-free, if you prefer) Fridays, seasonal Saturdays and seiten Sundays!” To participate, you can either tweet about your recipe or meal idea, or email your submissions to HH directly. Try to use the hashtags #vegan and #meatlessmonday (or wev) – ‘twould be awesome to see #vegan elevated to a Trending Topic! Or keep an eye on existing Trending Topics, and tweet about your animal advocacy using existing popular hashtags where appropriate.

After the jump are my tweets for Sunday. Because I’ve more or less abandoned my other blog, I set up my delicious and Twitter accounts to post digests of each day’s activities to Smite Me!. So that’s how I came up with a nice lil’ roundup of Sunday’s #oink tweets, just in case y’all are wondering.

(more…)

My sister sent me this video with the following note:

This cracks me up. I want the dog on the left….:-)

Adorable, them both. I’d joke about wanting to adopt the pair, but next thing you know, I’m waking up to seven dogs in my bed, instead of the customary four or five (Jayne sleeps under the bed during rainstorms). Dangerous road, my friends.

FYI, you can learn more about the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – and adopt one of their many available animals – here.

(more…)