Happypets.org Action_Alerts & More!
NEWSLETTER No 6.
If
you missed any previous newsletters, visit the archives at happypets.addr.com/Newsletter_Archives.htm
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. ACTION ALERT: ***VOTE FOR THE ANIMALS ***
2. ANIMAL BYTE: NEW ANTI-FUR RADIO AD
3. JOKE OF THE WEEK:
4. PET TIP OF THE WEEK:
5. RECIPE: POTATO-LEEK SOUP WITH PEAS
***SPECIAL BALLOT MEASURES ***
URGENT: PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ALL YOUR
FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN ARIZONA, ARKANSAS,FLORIDA,
GEORGIA &/OR OKLAHOMA AND ASK THEM TO GET OUT THERE
TOMORROW AND VOTE FOR THE ANIMALS!
Since agricultural and other animal-use industry lobbyists exert a
strong influence on state legislature, the citizen ballot initiative
process is a crucial tool for passing animal protection laws. This
Election Day, five precedent-setting animal protection measures
(four initiatives and two referenda) will go before the voters in the above
referenced states.
ARIZONA: Vote NO on Propsition 201 to expand gambling at greyhound
racing tracks and provide a new revenue stream for this abusive industry.
Animal protection groups oppose the greyhound industry because of its
mistreatment and killing of dogs. Thousands of surplus dogs are culled
every year by the cheapest, and often cruelest methods available
including gunshots and bludgeoning. For more information on Prop 201,
see: www.greyhoundcentral.org
ARKANSAS: Vote YES on Initiated Act 1 to make extreme acts of animal
cruelty a class D felony. Initiated Act 1 will also toughen laws against
cockfighting, creating penalties equivalent to those for dogfighting. Says
the Arkansas-Democrat Gazette, “Cockfighting is a blood sport, and that's
all this proposal proposes to eliminate.... It's time this sport went the
way of bear baiting, witch burnings, and Roman gladiators.” For more
information on Initiated Act 1, see: www.humanearkansas.org
FLORIDA: Vote YES on Amendment 10-- to ban the use of gestation crates
on pig factory farms. Gestation crates are tiny, two foot by seven foot
cages in which pregnant pigs are housed for almost all of their brief
existence. The crates are so small that confined pigs can’t even turn
around, and they suffer from a variety of physical and psychological
ailments as a result. In supporting Amendment 10, the St. Petersburg
Times has asked, “who would argue that stopping animal cruelty and
protecting the state from an environmental disaster are not worthy
subjects?” For more information on Amendment 10, see:
www.bancruelfarms.org
GEORGIA: Vote YES on Amendment 6 – to create a special spay/neuter
license plate to help fund low-cost companion animal sterilization
programs in the state. Every year, tens of thousands of dogs and cats are
killed in animal shelters in Georgia simply because there are not enough
homes for them. Still others eke out a miserable existence as strays,
suffering from disease, starvation, and exposure to the elements. Nineteen
other states already have a special animal-friendly license plate and have
raised millions of dollars to help end the tragedy of companion animal
overpopulation and the suffering it causes. For more information on
Amendment 6, see: www.humaneassociationofgeorgia.org/license_plate.htm
OKLAHOMA (1): Vote YES on State Question 687 -- to outlaw cockfighting and
make Oklahoma the 48th state to ban the practice. Oklahoma is one of only
three states where cockfighting is legal. Oklahoma Governor Frank
Keating, in endorsing SQ 687, has stated, "Cockfighting is cruel; it
promotes illegal gambling and is simply embarrassing to Oklahoma to be
seen as one of only a tiny handful of locations outside of the Third World
where this activity is legal." For more information on SQ 687, see:
www.bancockfighting.org
OKLAHOMA (2): Vote NO on State Question 698 – to amend the Oklahoma
Constitution by increasing the number of signatures needed to qualify an
initiative to promote the welfare of animals. It would nearly double the
number of signatures needed for a measure on that subject. The Daily
Oklahoman has called SQ 698 “shameful” and “dishonest,” and The Tulsa
World has said, “we hope Oklahoma voters will have more sense than their
elected representatives and see this unfair and extreme measure for what
it is: an attempt to interfere with voting rights and undermine the very
democratic principles that this country was founded on.” For more
information on SQ 698, see: www.bancockfighting.org
ANIMAL BYTE: New Radio Ad Tells Listeners Fur Isn't Cool!
The Fund has just produced a 60-second radio ad featuring Wendie
Malick of "Just Shoot Me," which will begin airing this holiday season
to urge shoppers not to purchase fur coats or any clothing with fur
trim. To listen to the radio ad online,visit:
fund.org/uploads/wendie_malick.mp3
Visit our website for the latest Animal Bytes refreshed daily at
www.happypets.org
JOKE OF THE WEEK:
Late one night, a burglar broke into a house he thought
was empty. He tiptoed through the living room but suddenly
he froze in his tracks when he heard a loud voice say,
"Jesus is watching you!"
Silence returned to the house, so the burglar crept forward
again. "Jesus is watching you," the voice boomed again.
The burglar stopped in his tracks again. Frantically, he
looked all around. In a dark corner, he spotted a bird cage
and in the cage was a parrot.
He asked the parrot: "Was that you who said Jesus is
watching me?" "Yes," said the parrot.
The burglar breathed a sigh of relief and asked the parrot:
"What's your name?" "Moses," said the bird.
"That's a silly name for a parrot," sneered the burglar.
"What kind of idiot would name you Moses?" The parrot sneered back,
"The same kind who would name the Rottweiller Jesus."
PET TIP:
Have your vet draw blood and perform a chemistry panel on your
pet when they are young and healthy.
This will create a baseline of "normal" for them.
This way, if they become sick as they get older, you and your
vet can compare the new blood work to their baseline blood chemistry.
I wish I had done this before Sadie developed Addison's and Kiki became
diabetic. It might have saved a lot of time during the drug dosage adjustment
periods.
RECIPE:
Potato-Leek Soup w/peas
This recipe make a big pot of soup.
You can reduce the ingredients by half if you're not cooking for a crowd.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium leeks, sliced widthways into thin round slices
2 or 3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
6-8 large potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons of white flour
1 cup of fresh or frozen peas (not dried).
5 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute leeks and garlic in oil for a few minutes then stir in the flour.
Add one cup of water and stir well to blend. Add potatoes and remaining water
( you may need to add a little more water to make sure all the vegetables are well
covered). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and turn down to simmer 45 minutes.
Add peas and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
That wraps up this
weeks Newsletter. I hope you are all enjoying it and, as always,
I look
forward to your comments and suggestions.
Warmest Regards,