Howie and Nicholas Reunited

I can't believe we didn't post this here! Sorry!

Howie is a little older and slowing down a bit. Due to some severe arthritis, he spent some solo time on vet-approved stall rest. After two weeks, it was time to let Howie out. We were not sure how the other two bovines, Sadie & Nicholas would take it - they had kept a vigil near Howie's enclosure, so we assumed they would be happy at his release.

What we didn't expect was the love-fest between Howie and Nicholas. For hours, they would groom one another, bump heads and maintain physical contact with one another. What a joyous reunion! By the end of the day, Nicholas' head was a giant spit-ball, though he was definitely squeaky clean. It is beyond our understanding how anyone can claim cattle and other farmed animals don't have emotions or can't form bonds. Howie and Nicholas show otherwise!

5% sales donated to Animal Place

Help the animals at the sanctuary by purchasing beautiful jewelry from McFarland Designs. Every months, she selects a charity and donates 5% of her sales. For October, Animal Place has been selected as the recipient.

The jewelry is beautiful and would be perfect for family, friends or "just for me".

Check out the store and, remember, 5% of every purchase you make will directly benefit the animals at Animal Place. There is no more stylish way to help the critters!

Baby birds arrive at the sanctuary

Twenty-five day-old chicks born in a hatchery in Iowa made a long journey via the postal service to a home in California. Upon arrival, seven of the chicks were dead. The recipient claimed to have never bought the birds, and the hatchery refused to take them back. Silicon Valley Animal Services took in the birds but realized quickly they were not equipped to handle 18 cheeping, needy chicks. They called Animal Place and we agreed to take them.

Young birds cannot regulate their body temperature effectively. It's why they need a mom. Right now, the baby birds are being kept in baby pens with special heating pads to keep them warm.

It is to tragic and tiresome hearing these stories of people buying birds and having those birds shipped through the postal service. In May, 2008 500 "peepers" (industry term: broilers) were rescued by Oakland Animal Services after fifty arrived dead and many were in distress. Thirteen of them came to Animal Place. These birds are lucky. Every year, thousands of baby birds die while being shipped through the mail.

The regulations required to ensure a dog or cat is transported safely do not apply to poultry, and mortality is considered unavoidable. We would not tolerate that treatment with dogs and cats! The postal service has shown an unwillingness to ensure the safety and well-being of the animals they ship. Animal Place encourages people interested in poultry to adopt birds from their local shelter or sanctuary. Never allow living, sentient beings be shipped like they are inanimate objects.

Proposition 2 Update

USDA & The American Egg Board have been ordered by a federal judge to stop violating a federal law that bans expenditure of federal funds on influencing government policy. Read more

The American Egg Board, a government supervised industry group, received approval from the USDA to use $3 million in federal check-off funds for ads that promote eggs using a No on Prop 2 spokesman as the speaker. Federal law prohibits the use of check-off program funds in a way

that may influence government policy.

San Francisco Chronicle: USDA ordered to quit buying anti-Prop 2 ads

Yes! On Prop 2: Federal Court Blocks Multi-million Dollar “Awful Egg Bailout”

September 23, 2008

The United States Department of Justice has subpoenaed records from leading opponents of Proposition 2 - the United Egg Producers (UEP), Golden Oval Eggs, LLC, Michael Foods, Inc. and MoArk LLC- as part of a criminal probe into illegal price-fixing. Read more

Virginia has a baby!

Rescued from a slaughterhouse four months ago, skinny and malnourished, we never thought Virginia was pregnant. Imagine our surprise when she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy!

Virginia is a stellar mom. She responds immediately when little boy calls for her. Checking in every few minutes, she gives him gentle baths and makes sure he stays clean. It's funny to watch him look up to his mom, almost as if saying "What next, mom?" Think good thoughts for little boy and his mom - as an older sheep, Virginia isn't in the best of health. She has problems with her lung from previously untreated infections and her liver is failing. Through all of this, she has shown a remarkable will to live and a strong drive to take care of her baby. We'll do our best to keep her comfortable and happy, while also helping her take care of little boy.

Animal Place will continue to provide safe haven and stellar care for any and all animals who enter our barn doors. While we help them, the animals help us to keep hope alive for farmed animals everywhere. You can help by choosing a plant-based diet, by choosing cotton over wool, by being an integral part of the solution.

Agriprocessor's Inc

Agriprocessor's Inc is charged with more than 9,000 misdemeanors for hiring 32 children at their "kosher" processing plant in Postville, Iowa. In May of this year, the plant was raided and 400 workers were arrested, accused of being "undocumented immigrants". That is nearly 60% of Agriprocessor's workforce (they are now hiring homeless people from Texas to fill the void). Postville has a population of about 2,300 - nearly 18% of their entire population was detained and arrested.

While 2/3 of the animals at Agriprocessor's are slaughtered conventionally, with a captive bolt gun to the head and then bled, a 1/3 of the animals are killed using the traditional practices of shechita. While a little more complex, the ritual slaughter involves restraining a conscious animal and cutting their throat, severing the eosophagus and trachea. No stunning is permitted. In 2004, PETA released video footage showing improper shechita and cruel treatment of cattle being killed. Federal inspectors were caught sleeping and playing card games on the job, not properly inspecting contaminated carcasses and generally not doing their job. While animal cruelty charges were considered, no case was filed. The USDA suspended one inspector and sent warning letters to two others. No ice cream with your pie for you, you crazy inspector-kids you!

Meatpacking plants are dangerous. They have a 100% turnover rate. Life on the processing line is unsafe, with a high rate of accidents and injuries. Workers are denied medical care, overtime pay and sick time. Some spend 50-70 hours a week enduring back-breaking labor and killing sentient, feeling beings. Meatpacking plants are founded on cruelty; their human employees aren't exempt from callous treatment.

Intensive farming is a destructive force. It ruins rural communities. It degrades human workers to objects. And it murder billions of feeling, sentient animals for no other reason than to placate a stomach's growl. Stopping the maelstrom is as simple as making compassionate food choices. Don't support an industry that abuses its workers, destroys the environment and reduces intelligent animals to body parts and "prime" cuts. That is the only way to stop the existence of the Agriprocessor's of the world.

2nd Annual Circus Show & Other Atrocities

Animal Place will be tabling at the 2nd Annual Circus Show & Other Atrocities, an event that showcases more than 100 national and international artists. The performance line-up starts out with Dan Piraro, creator of Bizarro, who will be joined by comedian and MC Keith Lowell Jensen, singer Larisa Bryski and more. Entertainment includes jugglers, belly dancers, firebenders, artist-made midway games and rides, along with raffle prizes! All proceeds will be donated to animal protection groups. This should be a fun event!

The event will be on September 13 from 5 pm - 10 pm at the Verge Gallery at 1900 V Street in Sacramento.

Chalk art and charity of the month!

This past weekend, Brownie Troop #1748, two women and Animal Place volunteer Tracy Heller headed out to Sacramento for the yearly Chalk it up! to Scramento festival. Funds from the festival benefit children's arts education and art activities.

Check out the very awesome mural created to represent Animal Place. We think we can see Nate, the goat, Leland the turkey, Aiden the sheep, Arturo the rooster, and maybe even Olivia, the potbellied pig! The artists were even kind enough to include some rats, mice, ground squirrels and wild rabbits to symbolize how hard we work to live WITH nature, not against it.

A big thank you to Brownie Troop #1748, Tracy Heller and the two artists who assisted with creating this beautiful sidewalk chalk mural!

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In other news, Etsy for Charity has named Animal Place September's Charity of the Month! Every purchase made through their charity store goes directly to the selected charity, this month it's us! You can help the animals by purchasing some of the lovely products at the store.

We think this dashing painting of a rooster looks strikingly like Arturo!

Positive ruling on factory farms out of Missouri

A judge out of Missouri has ruled that industrial hog farms cannot build their large facilities within 15 miles of historic Arrow Rock. The village is nestled on a 300-acre state park that receives more than 100,000 visitors every year. Department of Natural Resources issued a permit to a hog farmer who wanted to build a 4,800 farm 2-miles from the village and park.

According to the National Water Quality Inventory, 38% of assessed rivers and streams and 30% of assessed lakes, ponds and reservoirs are considered impaired because of agricultural activity. This number could likely be higher, especially since a high percentage of impairment could not be correctly identified. Knowing that nearly 40% of our rivers & streams and 30% of our lakes, ponds and reservoirs are polluted because of agricultural operations, why add to the problem with more factory farms? The above 4,800 pig operation would have generated 2 million gallons of manure annually.

Hopefully, this ruling creates a precedence for other communities trying to stop factory farms. Factory farms ruin rural communities, degrade and pollute our environment, and are pure misery for the animals. And the easiest way to stop their ever-increasing presence is to adopt a plant-based diet, doing our best to purchase produce from sustainable, local farms.

Happy ending, new beginning

A year ago, Animal Place took on a challenge - to help place 100 hens and 30 chicks rescued from a cockfighting breeding operation.

The birds came to the sanctuary parasite-ridden and with respiratory problems. Most survived, some just couldn't overcome their previous mistreatment.

We called on our members, volunteers, friends and family to help. And a year later, we are proud to say that all of the rescued hens and roosters have been placed in permanent, loving homes.

Along with the placement of all the birds comes good news that Louisiana has become the final state to outlaw cockfighting - it is now illegal in all 50 states! The battle isn't over - we want to see all fifty states consider cockfighting a felony, along with being present at a cockfight. We will continue to advocate on behalf of all the farmed animals, including the unfortunate roosters and hens used to fight and breed more fighting animals. Our society must take a stand against animal cruelty - banning all blood-sports is a step in the right direction.