Going Veg Saves Money...and your health

An interesting MSN Money Market article discusses the cost-effectiveness of a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Basics are easy on the wallet: Animal proteins are generally more expensive than plant proteins.

Fresh, canned, frozen or organic: Buying local is generally cheaper than purchasing out of season fruits and vegetables. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are often less expensive too. Organic produce, while more available, is often pricier. Check out your local farmers markets for more affordable, in-season produce.


A payoff in better health: Overall, the health care costs for a vegetarian or vegan are much lower than for non-vegetarians. Less chronic disease, better heart health and a lower risk of certain cancers are all benefits of a vegan diet.

It's good for insurers: Health insurance agencies are promoting lifestyle changes to try and offset the costs associated with heart disease. A plant-based diet improves key health indicators (blood pressure, cholesterial, body mass index & blood sugar).

MSN Money Market Article

Nervous about what to cook on a vegan diet? Check out these awesome cook books for some great recipes! This is by no means a complete list, but it should help you get started!

Vegan with a Vengeance: Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: Isa Chandra Moskowitz
The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen: Donna Klein
Vegan Planet: Robin Robertson
How it all Vegan: Sarah Kramer
The Garden of Vegan: Tanya Barnard
La Dolce Vegan: Sarah Kramer
Vegan Cooking for One: Leah Leneman

Willy, the goat says hi!

Willy is our top goat at the sanctuary and with those big horns, it's not surprising!

Ontario fire kills 40,000 chickens

A fire at Burnbrae Farms killed 40,000 hens. Hens in the egg-laying industry are housed in stacked wire cages inside buildings, making escape from fire impossible for the birds. This is yet another reason to give up eggs.

Toronto Star article

For egg alternatives in baking, try boiled flaxseeds, applesauce, banana or Ener-G egg replacer. You can also season tofu and scramble it for a scrambled egg alternative.

One more reason to go vegan

It’s hard to fathom but estimates now put the total number of sea animals killed in the US annually at 34.6 billion. Over-fishing has depleted our ocean’s biodiversity and increased pollution.

Fish kills were calculated by taking the weight of commercial landings from Fisheries of the United States (U.S. Department of Commerce), obtaining average weight of each species, and then calculating the estimated number of individuals slaughtered. The initial numbers exclude discards – individual animals caught, then released back into the water. Over 40% of discarded animals die, including turtles, dolphins and other marine animals.

Fish experience pain and can suffer – this is scientific fact. Commercial fishing increases the spread of disease to wild populations, and it harms other species, like seals and sea birds who are mercilessly killed for trying to eat the farmed fish.

Do the oceans a favor – skip the fish and go veggie!

Bakersfield, CA- Man tortures snake for tv audition

Disturbing news story from Bakersfield - during an audition for CBS' Survivor, a man bit into a live snake, peeled the skin and ate the animal alive. News source

According to a brief news report, charges may not be filed because of "convoluted" laws surrounding reptiles, particularly venomous ones.

This is not acceptable - the brutal, prolonged killing of any animal, especially in this case's context (as a television show audition) should not be left unpunished. Evidence in the psychological and human behavioral fields establish a clear connection between aberrant behavior towards animals, like animal cruelty, and dangerous & deadly behavior towards humans.

Please contact the District Attorney's Office and ask them to file charges against Brent Scheibel.

Contact Information:

Chief Deputy District Attorney J. Michael Saleen
E-mail: dacriminal@co.kern.ca.us
Phone: 661-868-2340
Mail: 1215 Truxton Ave; 4th Floor; Bakersfield, CA 93301

Copy correspondence to: Elsa Martinez, Administrative Services Officer
E-mail: DA@co.kern.ca.us

Police Department: BPDgen@bakersfieldpd.us

Animal Place coordinates rescue

It started with an e-mail. A shelter in California needed help with a cruelty case. Twenty-five ducks, eighteen rabbits, thirty geese, three turkeys and three pigeons were in desperate need of help.

The ducks were confined in a small, wire enclosure - no room to flap their wings and no water source. The property was littered with debris, clearly unsafe for the free-roaming geese and turkeys. A wire cage housed 18 un-neutered rabbits. It was not a happy place.

Animal Place could not take all the animals. So, we sent out an e-mail to our volunteer list asking for help in placing the animals. Our plea was answered, homes were found for all the animals...and a few remained here at the sanctuary.

Imagine for one second how different this story would be had we felt nothing could be done, we couldn't take all the animals, so why bother? But we knew one thing: People care and people care enough to help. We are so thankful to all the volunteers, the shelters and everyone who helped. We couldn't have done it without you!

Mexican Spay Camp

At the end of June, volunteers from the United States headed down to Chihuahua, Mexico to castrate as many dogs and cats as possible during a 4-day period. The camp was spearheaded by Compassion without Borders (www.cwob.org). During the camp, 222 dogs and cats were neutered!! An article about the camp will be in Animal Place's next newsletter. Enjoy the slideshow!

Help Protect Kangaroos

For thirty years, California has taken a stance against the importation and distribution of kangaroo skin. For the past several years, shoe companies have tried to pass legislation lifting that prohibition and permitting the sale and possession of kangaroo leather (specifically for soccer shoes).

SB 880 would lift California's 30-year ban. It has passed the Senate and will probably be voted on in the Assembly next Monday, the 16th. If it passes the Assembly, the only hope of stopping the bill is if the Governor vetoes it.

Background: Hunting of kangaroos occurs at night. When mothers are killed, their young are taken from the pouch and clubbed or bludgeoned to death. According to Australian statistics, the kangaroo population is rapidly declining - it is currently half the size it was in 2001. There is no reason to open up another market that would only increase the number of kangaroos slaughtered.

Supporters of SB 880 claim that the law would prohibit the importation of protected kangaroo species. Several protected species are similar in appearance to unprotected species and since hunting occurs at night, there is no way to accurately guarantee the animal killed is unprotected.

You can Help!
We have several things you can do to help the kangaroos.

Call the Governer's Office
The absolute easiest action you can take is to call the Governer's office and register your opposition. It's all automated, so you do not have to talk to anybody. It only took me 30 seconds! :)

The number to call is: 916-445-2841
For English, press #1
For legislation: #2
For SB 880: #1
OPPOSITION: #2

E-mail your Assembly Member, asking them to OPPOSE SB 880
Find you legislator: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Write or e-mail a letter to the Governer, asking him to VETO SB 880 if it passes
Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerState Capitol BuildingSacramento, CA 95814916-445-2841916-445-4633 faxgovernor@governor.ca.gov

Animal Place in the news!

A wonderful feature on Animal Place's Marji Beach, Program Coordinator, has run in two local papers. The article includes information about the sanctuary, our informative Animal Activist Training Class (next one in September) and how Marji became part of the Animal Place team. We hope you enjoy the article and take an opportunity to e-mail Ian Thompson, the reporter, with a nice thank-you note.

From the article:
The activism workshop started as an animal awareness workshop, where “we were telling them about all the horrible things, but we were not telling them anything to do about it,” Beach said.
The classes and orientations include a tour of the small farm and an introduction to the animals that have found their way to The Animal Place from Vacaville area ranches and factory farms in Louisiana.
Now, Beach lays out all the legal means activists can do.
“People want to help animals; they just don't know what they can do,” Beach said. “We want to give people things that they can do.”
Read more: http://www.davisenterprise.com/articles/2007/07/03/news/184new0.txt
Ian Thompson e-mail: ithompson@dailyrepublic.net