It’s rare that an animal rights documentary actually looks good, But I definitely can’t say that about this trailer for Maximum Tolerated Dose. This film about animal experimentation looks both artfully made and powerful. But don’t take my word for it, check out the trailer and keep an eye out for this documentary! Here is a synopsis from the film’s website:

Maximum Tolerated Dose is the first feature-length documentary by Decipher Films. The film charts the lives of both humans and non-humans who have experienced animal testing first-hand, with hauntingly honest testimony of scientists and lab technicians who’s ethics demanded they choose a different path, as well as the simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking stories of animals who have seen both sides of the cage. MTD aims to re-ignite the debate about animal testing by bringing these rarely-heard perspectives to the fore.

Maximum Tolerated Dose [trailer II] from decipher films on Vimeo.

When I met a lamb named Clarice, I knew that my life would never be the same. I made the connection then and there that these animals have their own personalities, thoughts and feelings. I knew that I couldn’t stand by idly while these animals, that are every bit as intelligent and interesting as dogs and cats, are killed for no other reason than the way they taste. I couldn’t bare the thought that I have eaten these animals at any point in my life, so I had to be a part of the solution. I’m not sure if I understood the significance of this experience at the time, but looking back on it I can say that this is why I became an animal advocate, what’s your story?

Watercourse’s Nonprofit Monday will again be benefiting Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on July 25th.

Mark your calendar. The whale warriors rely on donor support to fund their missions to thwart illegal poaching around the world. And with Japan recently announcing their intentions to return to the Southern Whale Sanctuary near Antarctica again this year, the Shepherds will need the help.

Here’s the Facebook event, hosted by Sea Shepherd Denver.

WARNING: This video contains extremely disturbing imagery.

Mercy For Animals’ latest undercover investigation documents conditions and practices at Iowa Select Farms, the nation’s 4th largest pork producer, between April and June 2011. As a result of this investigation, and the large amount of media attention it received, most of the major clients of Iowa Select have stopped buying pork from them. Costco, Safeway, and Kroger have all stated that they have stopped carrying Iowa Select pork.

This investigation was covered on ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, the Associated Press, and many other news outlets. Millions of people saw the truth about Iowa Select’s cruel day-to-day practices. Within days of the footage being released, the major grocers made the change to stop selling Iowa Select pork. This shows the power of undercover investigations into animal operations.

(summary of video footage after the jump, if you prefer not to watch)… Read the rest of this entry →

As vegans, we choose not to eat ocean animals for many reasons. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people thought we did it only for cruelty reasons (which certainly are valid). But perhaps not many of our critics realize overfishing’s impact on humans. By taking huge amounts of fish from the stocks off the coasts of Africa and other areas, we are destroying the livelihoods of natives, and stealing their primary source of protein. Giant European trawlers plunder the seas for whatever will fill their nets, then throw the dead bycatch (the less attractive fish that don’t fetch a good price at market) back into the sea. Maybe you don’t care about killing fish or causing them pain. Maybe you don’t care about the environmental impact of taking millions of tons of life out of the oceans. But if you care about other people- those less fortunate than us (with our Long John Silver’s and Red Lobster)- you might want to consider the impact of your seafood purchase.

Video via Greenpeace and The End of the Line

Gene Baur of Farm Sanctuary is such a strong voice for the animals, I had to share this video. He makes some very articulate arguments for veganism in this conversation with the ladies of Spork via VegNews. This could be a great video to share with your friends and family who are unfamiliar with the benefits of a vegan lifestyle!

My hero.
via Sea Shepherd Denver

This is awesome. Thanks, nice farmer!

We vegans get so high and mighty about our lifestyle, and our cause. Is there a chance that we are a bit misguided? Maybe it’s a little silly to combat animal cruelty by abstaining from granola with honey in it. Bear with me here. You can probably guess what conclusion I’ll come to, given where this blog is being posted. But I think it’s worth it to take another look at ourselves and figure out if we’re making the best choices, or if there are other movements out there that have just as much merit.

A goal of mine since going vegan has been to show others how normal, sensible, and easy it is. A plant-based lifestyle makes perfect sense to me, and it has never been about being punk, being different, or a looking cool. I do have some counter-cultural leanings, but that is not my motivation for making solid ethical choices every day. I consider myself a thinking man. I do my share of finger-pointing, but I believe we should all take responsibility for our consumer choices. If there’s a big floating island of plastic in the Pacific, we shouldn’t just whine and say this government or that corporation should clean it up- we should each make an effort to use less plastic and put it in the right bin when it’s useful life has passed. Same thing for veganism. While we need to do everything we can to make the system better, we can’t just go on consuming animal products and hope Big Food comes to its senses. Our food system is a big steaming mess. My personal solution is to opt out whenever I can: buy organic, local, and independent, and avoid animal products altogether. That feels good to me. It feels like the right thing to do. But maybe it’s not the only route?

Read the rest of this entry →

Well, Humane Lobby Day has come and gone, and though I’m sure some people are tired of hearing me talk about it, I know a few folks would like to hear about how things went for the P&A group. The quick answer? It was awesome!

Even though our group was small (4 of us attended together and live in the same state districts), we left at the end of the day feeling that we had accomplished our main goal, getting our State Rep. Crisanta Duran and State Senator Pat Steadman strongly encouraged to join the newly formed Colorado Animal Protection Caucus. We also had a great opportunity to meet and network with some like-minded activists. From “big names” like HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle to individuals living and working right here in Denver that dedicate a part of their lives to making our world a better place for animals, each person that we met on Tuesday was an inspiration and validation of the cause we believe in. Read the rest of this entry →