2009 Fur Free Friday

ACTION E-ALERT: FUR FREE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
YOUR FUR HAD A FACE
Activists ask shoppers to choose compassion over cruelty

Please join area activists as we gather in protest of the use of fur on Fur Free Friday.

WHEN: Friday November 27, 2009, 11 A.M. – 1 P.M. – RAIN OR SHINE!

WHERE: 343 Gorham Road, in front of Dino International Furs, South Portland, Maine (Corner of Foden Road & Gorham Road at the Cornerbrook Shopping Center).
Activists will park in the Maine Mall lot and gather on the public sidewalk.
Rideshare opportunities are available. Please contact Melissa for more information.

CONTACT: Melissa Gates (veganshade@yahoo.com or H – 207.797.6373; C - 207.347.9632).

WHAT: We are asking everyone to choose compassion over cruelty. With all the luxurious alternatives available, there is absolutely no excuse to contribute to the extreme cruelty of the fur industry by purchasing or wearing furs. Please join us for Fur Free Friday this year to ensure that this message of compassion is heard. Signs, posters and leaflets will be available – but we also welcome you to bring your own if you have them.

What is wrong with fur? Frightened animals trapped for fur suffer excruciating pain, often for days, before having their chests crushed or their necks snapped by trappers, who often kill snared animals by jumping up and down on them. Beavers caught in underwater traps struggle frantically for up to 20 minutes before drowning. On factory fur farms, animals spend their lives in tiny, filthy cages, where they suffer physical and psychological distress before being killed by poisoning, gassing, anal electrocution, or neck breaking. This is unacceptable.

Fur Free Friday, an annual event that takes place the Friday after Thanksgiving, aims to educate people about the horrors suffered by fur-bearing animals. Organized originally in 1986 by grassroots activists to abolish the fur trade, Fur Free Friday has grown to be one of the most widely attended annual demonstrations of the animal rights movement. Through protests, education, and the promotion of cruelty-free fashion, Fur Free Friday gives a voice to the millions of animals who suffer and die at the hands of this cruel industry each year.

For more information on the fur industry, please visit FurisDead.com.

What do egg labels really mean?

From: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=244232&ac=FoodToday's Portland Press Herald gives us the breakdown...

WHAT THEY MEAN

CERTIFIED ORGANIC: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, and are required to have outdoor access, but the amount, duration and quality of outdoor access is undefined. They are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permittted. The U.S. Department of Agriculture sets the standards, and compliance is verified through a third party.

FREE RANGE: Free-range hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and have some degree of outdoor access, but there are no requirements for the amount, duration or quality of time spent outdoors. There are no restrictions regarding what the birds can be fed. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party verification of compliance.

CERTIFIED HUMANE: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses but may be kept indoors at all times. There are requirements for stocking density and number of perches and nesting boxes. Beak cutting is allowed. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited. Compliance is verified by a third party. Program of Humane Farm Animal Care.

ANIMAL WELFARE APPROVED: Birds are cage-free, and continuous outdoor perching access is required. There are requirements for stocking density, perching, space and nesting boxes. Beak cutting is prohibited, and birds molt naturally. Program of the Animal Welfare Institute.

CAGE-FREE: Birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but they generally do not have access to the outdoors. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party verification of compliance.

FREE ROAMING: Also known as "free-range," the USDA has defined this claim for some poultry products, but there are no standards in "free-roaming" egg production. This essentially means the hens are cage-free. There is no third-party verification of compliance.

UNITED EGG PRODUCERS CERTIFIED: The overwhelming majority of the U.S. egg industry complies with this voluntary program of the United Egg Producers. Birds are confined to cages, the dimensions of which are 67 to 86 square inches, depending on the size of the bird and the size and style of the cage. Compliance verified through a third party. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but beak cutting is allowed.

VEGETARIAN-FED: Birds' feed does not contain animal byproducts. No requirements regarding animal welfare.

NATURAL: This label claim has nothing to do with nutrition or animal welfare.

FERTILE: These eggs were laid by hens who lived with roosters, meaning they most likely were not caged.

OMEGA-3-ENRICHED: Omega-3 fatty acid levels in the eggs are boosted through the addition of flax seed or marine algae to the birds' feed. Most producers use flax seed, which does not provide the most beneficial form of omega-3s.

Copyright © 2009 Blethen Maine Newspapers

Ideas for managing pet care costs during the recession

Pet Owners Struggling to Pay For Their Loved Ones Costs
Some cash-strapped consumers have been forced to do the unthinkable: give up their pets. To avoid having to sacrifice the quality of your pet's care or worse, give them up altogether, here's how you can cut down on pet care costs. Tips to slash spending on veterinary care, food and other pet costs.
Put Your Pet on an Austerity Plan at SmartMoney.com

Maine Tax Checkoff to Help FixMe (Spay and Neuter Fund)

Spay Maine is working hard this year to get the word out on the spay/neuter check-off box, called the Companion Animal Sterilization Fund, on the Maine state tax form. For those of you not familiar with this, Help Fix ME has a check off box on the state tax form ( see schedule cp) that allows Mainers to donate directly to the Help Fix ME program. The donation is tax deductible the following year.
- From Spay Maine

Download the Flyer (PDF)

Have You Heard of Black Dog Syndrome?

"Did you know that Black Dogs are generally the last to be adopted and are euthanised in shelters in much larger numbers? People may consider them too “plain”, think they are menacing, or simply don’t notice them because their dark color makes them disappear in their kennels. Those involved in animal welfare have dubbed this phenomena "Black Dog Syndrome."

Read more about this - it affects both dogs and cats in this country.

www.startseeingblackdogs.com

Adopt Plate Success!

Dear Friend of MALT ~

We are thrilled to report that we have reached our goal. Due to the incredible support from people from 334 cities and towns in Maine, our goal was accomplished in record time.

We would like to recognize the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for extending our deadline and allowing us to meet our goal. They listened to the voice of the people and helped make it happen.

If you have posted any flyers on your website or in your workplace, please remove them as soon as possible. We cannot pre-sell more than 2,000 plates. Any more checks that come in will be returned.

Be on the lookout for a press release, which will likely happen by the end of September.

Our next step is to work with the BMV on writing the bill. Once the bill goes before the legislature, we will be asking you to call your Representative to let them know you support this initiative.

We will continue to send you updates on the inititative's progress and we now have updated FAQs posted on www.planetdog.com/plate.

-->Sincerely, Members of MALT

Maine's ADOPT license plate update

From our friends at MALT ...

(Due to the incredible outreach of animal lovers around the state, we are approaching the 50% mark! But we are also quickly approaching our deadline of September 1st. -->

If you have already purchased a plate, thank you! If everyone who has purchased the plate gets just one more person to take action, we will reach our goal. We need you to help make it happen.

Tell your family and friends that the Adopt Plate will now be sold at the following events: GREAT FALLS BALLOON FESTIVAL in Lewiston-Auburn, the SKOWHEGAN STATE FAIR at the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals booth and WOOFSTOCK 2008 in Newcastle. See details below.

As a reminder, this may be the last specialty plate that the State of Maine allows, so PLEASE make it one that will support the health and welfare of all our animals. NO animal deserves inhumane treatment. ALL animals deserve our respect.

Click to purchase an Adopt Specialty Plate

Upcoming Events Where the Adopt Plate can be purchased:

SATURDAY, August 9th at WOOFSTOCK 2008, The Lincoln Home in beautiful Newcastle, Maine. 10 am - 3 pm. Click for more details.

SUNDAY, August 17th - TUESDAY, August 19th at GREAT FALLS BALLOON FESTIVAL, Lewiston-Auburn.

August 7th - 16th SKOWHEGAN STATE FAIR at the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals booth. Please go to www.MSSPA.org for more information.

MALT is comprised of the following businesses and organizations:

Planet Dog
Happy Tails
Animal Welfare Program
Maine HSUS
Animal Refuge League
Animal Welfare Society

Maine Friends of Animals
Maine Animal Coalition
Portland Trails
Spay Maine

Support Ocean Sanctuaries for Whales

Support Ocean Sanctuaries for Whales

Sign the petition now and earnMinke Whale status!

Please sign this petition to add your voice to those calling for a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary.

Sign on to create a safe harbor for whales

Whales are not saved. Although commercial whaling has been banned for more than two decades, Japan, Iceland and Norway continue to fire harpoons into these gentle creatures. More than 30,000 whales have been killed since the 1986 ban on whaling. You can help make the world a safer place for whales by protecting one of the largest whale habitats.

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) meets on June 23rd, 2008, in Santiago, Chile. The Commission members will consider a proposal to create a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary that will extend across the South Atlantic, from the coast of South America to the coast of Africa, and on down towards Antarctica.

IFAW will be campaigning vigorously to convince IWC members to approve the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary. But we can’t do it alone. Please sign the petition now to help create the sanctuary.

Sign on to help animals and people

IFAW’s goal in every one of its campaigns is to try to find solutions that benefit animals and people. The South Atlantic is an important whale conservation area because it provides the bordering nations with opportunities to develop whale-watching operations. The tourism income would be especially helpful for these developing nations. In addition, the sanctuary would provide a safe area to conduct humane scientific research.

The vote on the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary provides a vital opportunity for the IWC to show that it is committed to whale conservation.

IFAW’s S.O.S. for whales

In the weeks leading up to the IWC meeting, IFAW will be asking our supporters to complete a number of actions aimed at encouraging a YES vote on the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary. Signing the petition is the first step in our S.O.S. (Support Ocean Sanctuaries) campaign, and will earn you the status of Minke Whale. Work your way up to Blue Whale status by completing each step, and receive free gifts along the way.

Sign on to save whales

Together we can make the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary a safe harbor for whales, and in the process, help provide economic opportunities for the people in the bordering nations.

Thank you for signing on to save whales,Fred O'ReganPresident and CEOP.S. Whales suffer awful deaths at the hands of whalers. Please help us create a safe habitat for whales in the South Atlantic by signing this petition.