I'm a vegetarian. I havn't had a bite of meat or fish in 4 years. It's funny how it all starts. A little bit for health, and a little for the love of animals. Now it's ALL for the love of animals. I can't even look at a steak ,or any meat, and not picture it as a sweet, big brown eyed precious cow or pig. And don't get me started on lamb and veal. I have never eaten a baby in my life. Imaging the mothers when their precious babies are ripped away from them to be used as food. I really don't judge anyone for this though. My husband, kids and friends are all meatatarians. (that's what my 14 year old calls it)
Well anyway, I went to the PETA catalog site to order some t-shirts. I had heard stories for years about the organization's protests and ad campaigns. And had seen some of the horrifying pictures. Also, the film of men kicking the cows in the face, as they lie there so sick they can't walk off the truck to the slaughter house. All of the little bits and pieces planted a seed in my brain and heart until I couldn't sit still or quiet anymore.
Being that I was now on their mailing list, they sent me an opinion poll to fill out. The content is something I had never heard of, or could ever even imagine. I actually had to read it in small amounts, because I couldn't handle the whole thing at once. And the pictures broke my heart.
It told of the use of domestic cats and dogs for fur. Some still have their collars on after being stolen from their homes, others are strays. They said they label the fur as Asian jackal or rabbit. They are used for collars on coats or lining for gloves and boots. Millions of cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs. This is not just adult animals, also kittens and puppies. They capture trusting dogs like Golden Retrievers and German Shepards and pleanty of other breeds too. Cats like Siamese and tabbys.
They are packed into cages, piled on top of eachother covered in urine and feces. The cages are thrown 10 feet down off of the trucks, which causes the animals little bones to break. Then the worst happens. Some are skinned alive, screaming and crying while the others listen and wait to be next. Afterwards they're thrown in a pile, where they may still gasp for 5 minutes until death finally comes
There is more, but I have to stop now.
Once I finished reading, pulled my heart up out of my stomach and dried my eyes, I went straight to my copier and computer and started trying to do something.
I'm not a radical or an activist in any way. I just feel like I can't sit quiet, cover my eyes and ears, or look the other way anymore.
I hope to plant a seed in others so that when they hear and see information about PETA's cry for help, they will listen and do something. If anything tell 2 freinds, so they'll tell 2 friends about this.
There is good news though. After PETA meetings with some of the major clothing designers, they have stopped using fur of any kind in all of their clothing. Each small step adds up to bigger leaps, and maybe one day everyone will see the light.
