☆ Bunny Adoptions for Easter (& why you shouldn't Buy!) ☆

It's that time of year again, when cute wittle bunny wabbits start popping up everywhere… sadly that includes pet shops. Now, I'm not going to flat out tell you not to buy a bunny rabbit, on the contrary bunnies can be lovely companions, but I am going to advice you on a few things to do it Right. 

Rabbits require much more care and attention than most people suspect. Rabbits are like any other pet, they require work, attention, time, and your love and affection. The problem is most people think they can buy these little critters shove them in a little cage, feed them, and that's the end of it. People mistake rabbits as an easy pet. And since most pet stores aren't going to tell you otherwise, thousands of impulsive buyers go home with their new little bunnies as cute "easter" gifts for their children without having a clue what they're getting themselves into.  

Instead of impulsively buying, you should stop and think about this before committing to it. Ask yourself if you and your family are ready for a new family member, if you have the time for one, and if it's a good fit. 

If you are on thinking about adding a rabbit to your family for Easter, here are some things to consider…   

"Easter" bunnies usually end up being neglected, abandoned, sold, or left for adoption. Rabbits Are high-maintenance pets, and once people realize this (unfortunately After they've already bought one) then what happens to our little bunny friends? They join the other unwanted pets in animal shelters, or worse. The commitment to one is no smaller than that of bringing a puppy or kitten into your life. Rabbits live for around 10 years, or longer, so they aren't a short term pet and shouldn't be viewed as a disposable item. Pets are not disposable, but they are marketed as such by pet stores. They are living, breathing, heart-beating loveable creatures that want your love and attention. And you should make sure you have the time and energy for one. Any pet is a commitment, and rabbits are no exception. They are forever animals. You don't just have a child and then give it away after a couple years if you don't have the time for it anymore or have to move or change your mind, or anything like that now do you? Animals are family members. Period. 

Bunnies make wonderful additions to a family that is ready for that kind of 10-year commitment. They are quirky, rambunctious, and absolutely loveable… but they Are work and you can't neglect them. (here is an amazing guide on how to care for your rabbit)

Never buy from Breeders or Pet Stores! 

As with puppy and cat mills (that I wrote about here), rabbits are inbred, mistreated, abused, and sold to hasty buyers. I won't go through all the horrible details, you can check out the link to my previous post if you're interested in that. But most of these rabbits don't stay with one family, because pet stores promote this kind of impulse buying. And when there are hundreds of little bunnies already waiting for new homes in shelters, why on earth would you support a greedy breeder or shop that supports animal cruelty and treating animals like material objects instead of living creatures? 

Adopt!

Instead, if you decide that you are indeed ready for a new bunny family member, then adopt one instead from your local animal shelter or rescue group. They are bursting with unwanted bunnies that have been bought in that hasty easter rush, and are in desperate need of new homes. So best to wait a little bit after Easter. Bring your kids to the shelter and give them the joy of picking out your new family member with you. Get your new bunny spayed or neutered as well--there are already enough bunnies in need of homes, so don't take that chance away from a shelter rabbit by letting your new friend have a fresh litter of bunnies.  

(You can start by looking up your zip code on Petfinder.com for shelters to adopt from.) 

So…

Don't impulsively buy. Ask if you're truly ready for another high-need animal companion. And if you are then adopt.

Make this Easter a happy one for your kids and the bunnies!

If you'd like to read more here is another informative and eye-opening article from Care2: http://www.care2.com/causes/easter-is-no-treat-for-pet-bunnies.html

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☆ Infographic: The Global Water Crisis ☆

Infographic by Seametrics, a manufacturer of water flow meter technology that measures and conserves water.


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☆ BLACK OUT SPEAK OUT! ☆

About BLACK OUT SPEAK OUT (blackoutspeakout.ca):

Launched on May 7, Black Out Speak Out (or Silence, on parle!, in French) invites organizations, businesses and citizens from across Canada to darken their websites on June 4, and speak out against changes introduced in the federal government’s budget act (C-38) by darkening their websites and taking other actions on June 4.

Black Out Speak Out is a joint project of CAPE, CPAWS, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, Equiterre, Greenpeace, Nature Canada, Pembina Institute, Sierra Club Canada, West Coast Environmental Law, and WWF Canada. (For a full list of partners, visit http://blackoutspeakout.ca/partners.php)

Please head over to http://blackoutspeakout.ca/ to find out what you can do, sign petitions, and speak out! 

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☆ 9 Reasons why Milk Sucks! ☆

Ditching the dairy is usually the hardest part about going vegan, hence why there are so many vegetarians and not enough vegans. But, really, if you are going to be vegetarian there is no reason why you shouldn't be vegan, unless you want to be a hypocrite (oh no I didn't just say that! *gasp* ;p). If you'd like to know why, and need the extra motivation to ditch the dairy, here are several reasons why… 

Milk is for Baby Cows!

The simplest, most basic point; Milk is for Baby Cows! Milk from cows was never meant for human bodies, it was meant for their own young, just as humans and every other animal produces milk for their young. But the dairy industry separates a mother cow from her baby at birth so that humans can have her milk instead. 

Cows do Not need Milking

Cows, just like every other animal, produce the right amount of milk for their young. They do not produce a huge excess of milk as people are led to believe, and they do Not need milking. The only reason cows produce so much milk on dairy farms is because they are pumped full of hormones and are intensively milked to produce ten times what they normally would, which, I'm sure you can imagine, is extremely hard on their bodies--and not at all natural.   

No Enzymes to Digest Milk

Milk is meant to make baby bodies grow quickly and healthily, but after a certain age our bodies stop producing the enzymes that digest dairy. Which is why most people are intolerant to dairy products. Our bodies do this because we are no longer meant to drink it, our bodies no longer need it. Our bodies are not meant to drink milk, plain and simple. Milk is for babies, not humans. 

You wouldn't drink the Milk from any other animal.

Drinking milk from another human being is way way way more natural than drinking it from cows, but chances are it totally grosses you out.  If you wouldn't drink the milk from another human, or from a gorilla, your dog, or any other animal then you shouldn't be drinking it from cows. If drinking the milk from any other animal grosses you out then you shouldn't feel any differently about drinking dairy because there is absolutely zero difference. 

Dairy = Calcium Loss! 

Despite the huge misconceptions of the billion-dollar advertising campaigns the dairy industry shoves in our faces every day, dairy is absolutely terribly bad for you. Your body will only absorb half the calcium and the other half gets left behind as deposits that build in your body and result in osteoporosis. Yes, you heard right, milk doesn't prevent osteoporosis, it creates it, because osteoporosis is caused by calcium Loss, not Deficiency. 

Dairy is Baaaad for you! 

This isn't news, it's common knowledge amongst the medical fields that dairy is bad for you. Dairy consumption has been linked to acne, anemia, arthritis, ADD, ADHD, fibromyalgia, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, joint pain, poor immune function, allergies, colic, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, Crohn's disease, breast & prostate cancers, and ovarian cancer. Nasty Dioxin is also often found in dairy products, not to mention all the pesticides, hormones, chemicals, and pus and blood found in milk. Gross! 

Morphine! 

Morphine is naturally occurring in cow's milk so that their young are encouraged to drink it--but this has a much different effect on cows than humans. In dairy products, particularly cheese, this morphine is concentrated, which is why it's so darn addictive. Once you get over the druggy addiction, it's easy! 

Support Dairy, support Veal

Somehow people like to turn a blind eye to this truth, but if you consume dairy then you directly support the veal industry. Dairy cows have their young taken away from them so that humans can consume their milk instead. Those baby cows never get the nutrition they need so end up weak and their flesh tender so they are sold off as veal. So, again, I ask the question; how can vegetarians just be vegetarians and still support the killing of baby animals? 

Dairy is Rape, Heart-breaking, and Cruel

I want you to take a moment to consider the sacred bond between a mother and child, the unconditional love that nothing else can match. Now, can you imagine your child being ripped from your arms within a day of birth. Then imagine being raped, giving birth again, and have the process repeat itself over and over again. Make no mistake, mother cows get extremely upset when their young are taken from them, they kick stall walls in rage and frustration and literally cry with grief. They feel exactly as humans do.  

Touching the surface of what happens to dairy cows… To produce milk, mother cows must have a baby--like every other animal--in order to lactate. Therefore, dairy cows are artificially impregnated with a machine every year (simply put: raped) and are kept pregnant their entire lives which is extremely hard on their bodies. They are hooked up to machines where they are intensively milked several times a day. And their babies are taken away from them within a day so that milk can go to you instead. 

Like I said, this is really just touching the surface of the cruelty involved as I didn't want to get too much into the cruelty in this post. If you'd like to know more please check my other in-depth post article here: http://www.reloveplanet.com/2009/07/dark-secrets-of-meat-dairy-industries.html

Vegan = Love!  Make the Switch! 

Any kind of change can be made positively. I try to share information in a light-hearted and positive way because that's what being vegan is truly about-- Love! And extending that love beyond ourselves and on to animal lives. :)

Ditching dairy isn't as hard as you'd think it is either, it's just a matter of getting into new habits. Once you get over the addiction bump and get into those new habits it's really not so hard, in fact, I thoroughly enjoy it. Plus, there's a weight off your conscious and you get to feel good about your decision and know that you are not responsible for the unnecessary suffering of another animal. Most people also feel a million times better with their health after cutting out dairy products-- say hello to happy tummy, healthy skin, vitality and energy! ;)

There are far more (and healthier) sources to get calcium from as well (in case you're still concerned) such as leafy greens like spinach, collards, mustard greens, and kale, as well as broccoli and most other veggies, chickpeas, and soy products. Even nuts and grains and fruit have calcium, just not as much as those good leafy greens.

Being vegan has never been easier either, with soooo many delicious dairy alternatives to replace all your old ones. I write about them all the time right here at ReLove Plan.et with recommendations. Exploring your local grocery store is also exciting, as alternatives are becoming more and more available with a ton of options as well. 

[myself and a happy rescue cow at Farm Sanctuary]

So make a cow happy, make yourself happy, make your life happy, and ditch the dairy! ;) 

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☺ Live in your Heart's World, Not in your Stuff's World ☺

"We are not consumers. We are human-Beings. Our needs are unique and cannot be met with products." 

~The Unconsumer Manifesto.

We live in a society that teaches us social status in the form of fashion, Happiness in the form of possessions, love in the form of physical gifts, and worth in the form of high-trending anything. However, more and more people are awakening from this dream-like illusion. More and more people are realizing that all that "stuff" does not make them Happy. In fact, quite the opposite. 

What these "things" are are distractions from reality, from Happiness and from actually Living. They are not Life. They are not Happiness. They do not fulfil any inherent desire that cannot be filled by what's already inside us. 

Does this mean burn all your things and go live in the forest? Perhaps not quite. But you would be surprised by what you could discover about yourself, about life, and about true Happiness if you actually did. 

In the words of John Lennon, "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can?" 

We live in a world that teaches us absolute attachment to possessions. Ironically, it also teaches us absolute disregard for possessions, that these things are absolutely disposable--that is, so long as you have another "thing" to replace the one to be discarded. In that sense, possessions have passing value, so the distraction maintains our mind's attention constantly on whatever's new and "exciting." We never stop to look within ourselves for fulfillment and true happiness. 

Perhaps first we must also look at why our society teaches us this so that we can understand why it is flawed and why it is best to move away from this mentality. 

"Stuff" means the economy is supposedly booming. "Stuff" means money is being spent and that keeps those with the most money and power in control. Now, it is important to see that it is those people--with the billion dollar pockets that spend billions of dollars on advertising-- that are constantly and consistently putting the idea in our heads that all that "stuff" will buy you happiness. The message tells us that we need "things" to find self-worth, by shoving the notion into our brains that we are not worthy, beautiful, or wonderful as we are. The world wants to change you, and constantly at that, so that you will need to change your appearance and demeanour with clothing, new gadgets, cars, and whatever else they can use to make you spend money. And if everything around us is subliminally and obviously telling us to consume and that materialism is everything, who is going to question the lie? 

But that's exactly what it is, a lie. If nothing more, I hope you can become aware of the lie so you can be Happy without it. 

You are not your possessions. You are not the things you own. Your life is not made up of the things you buy. Your worth is not measured by possessions. "Stuff" does not make you happy or valuable. Advertising and media will make you want to buy, consume, and rely on materialism. But you do not need it. And the sooner you can see this the sooner you can start loving yourself and your life as well.

Live in your Heart's world, not your "Stuff's" world.  Stop attachment to possessions and instead rediscover the true joy of living simply, living in harmony with the Natural Way of Things. Love and Happiness come from within, from the heart, not from "stuff." Your life is not what it is because of the possessions in it. Your life is not rich because of possessions. Your life is rich because of the people around you, because of the love experienced, and because of the memories shared. Your life is rich because of the air we breathe, the soil at our feet, the gifts of the natural world. Your life is rich and valuable, not because of "stuff" and possessions but because of connectedness and love. 

A "rich" life is not one with millions of dollars worth of "things." A rich life is one filled with happiness in your heart. You don't need "Stuff" to be Happy. Get away from consumerism and materialism and you will give yourself the chance to discover yourself, people, simplicity, and the beauty of the world untouched by society and possessions. 

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☆ What's Going On: Renewable Energy Stats! ☆

Another tid bit I'm grabbing to share with you lovelies ;) For those with some doubts about it being economically possible to go green and get away from our dependency on the oil industry and non-renewable resources. I found this interesting and felt it was worth sharing. :)

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☮ Be the Change: The Difference Recycling can Make!! ☮

Hi Loves, 
I happened upon this today and felt it was something that I HAD to share! This is mind-blowing! So many reasons to do your part and Recycle!! Please pass this along!






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What's Going On: 8 Reasons for Animal Birth Control!

No, I'm not talking about putting your pet on the pill or getting them to use a condom ;). I'm talking about being a responsible pet owner and not contributing to the huge cat and dog overpopulation problem. 

I already wrote up a blog post about being a Responsible Pet Owner a little while ago, but here is a little extra quick read. 

6-8 million unwanted Cats and Dogs enter U.S. animal shelters every year. Most of those animals are put to death because there are not enough good homes for them; more than 900 animals every hour during open hours, and more than 10, 000 every day!

If that isn't enough for you to be responsible, here are 8 more reasons...

8 Reasons for Animal Birth Control:

#1. Because there are 8 million unwanted animals born, abandoned, or killed. That number is so high it's hard to wrap your head around. But it's not just a number, behind that number are animals with faces and a personalities. Every cat or dog waiting at those shelters are individuals that want love and want a good home.

#2. Because if you buy or breed her/him, a shelter animal will die. Even if you find a home for all your own dog's puppies or cat's kittens, you are still stealing homes away from those at shelters who are already born and waiting in shelters for homes. Bringing more animals into a world that puts to death more than 10, 000 homeless cats and dogs every day isn't just irresponsible, its cruel.

#3. There is no such thing is a responsible breeder. An estimated 25% of dogs abandoned at shelters are purebred. Breeding animals is still killing animals. 

#4. Because your pet has to battle with the uncomfortableness of being in heat and every time has to try to fight off other animals attracted to it. 

#5. Because your sexual hang-ups are yours, not your dogs! Yes, I'm talking to you Guys! Your dog doesn't have the same macho hang-ups that you do. You try being sentenced to a lifetime of humping sofa cushions and furniture and see how you like it.

#6. Because warehousing animals indefinitely is not the answer. Even in "no-kill" shelters, animals must live a lonely life without a true family, and sentencing them to a lifetime in a cage. To be happy, cats and dogs need love and individual attention. They need to run and play, and bask in the sun. 

#7. Because Animal Birth Control is Easy! Cats and dogs can be spayed as early as 8 weeks. And spaying or neutering your cat or dog is cheaper than having to feed a mother and all their young and getting all their shots. But it doesn't just save money, it also saves lives. 

#8. It's the right thing to do and you know it. In the time it took to read this blog, animal shelters were forced to end the lives of at least 71 animals. Please don't add to the cat and dog over-population crisis. Adopt. And urge others to do the same. 

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☆ What's Going On: Separation from Nature ☆

In every sense imaginable, we have made "Nature" our enemy. Mankind has created this notion that, not only are we above nature, but we must defeat and conquer it. This thinking would imply that we can live without it. We cannot. Sorry to burst that bubble. Mankind has placed itself upon a pedestal of which we are everything and the world is ours to control, conquer, manipulate, and destroy, and there will be no consequences for our actions. There are in fact dreadful and deadly consequences but we will continue to ignore this matter. Why? Because we have been taught to trust and believe that technology can save us from anything. 

We have forgotten the love. Let's find that love again. Not all hope is gone, not by a long-shot. We can certainly be Happy again and love nature again and have blissful beautiful wonderful fantastic lives. Better lives than we are living right now. By a long-shot. 

We have been conditioned to believe that we need to be protected from the natural world, when really it needs to be protected from Us. We have lost respect for the natural world when we should be opening our eyes to its wisdom, to respect, recognize and understand that wisdom and use it to help us instead of having it work against us. In this way of thinking, we have thrown our survival and our happiness out the window--in the form of garbage and litter and pollution and angry anti-social thinking. Science and technology are the answer to everything and so we continue to push away and detach ourselves more and more from the natural world. We have lost harmony with the planet and in doing so push ourselves closer and closer to the brink of destruction. I'm not just talking about the destruction of our home, of Mother Earth, I'm talking about ourselves, our mentalities, our beings, our Happiness. In today's day and age, the only thing we need saving from is the technology that got us into this mess in the first place. Pollution, cancerous chemicals in our beauty products, islands of plastic in our oceans, clear-cutting forests that filter our air, pesticides and fertilizers contaminating our soils and food; it all amounts to one rather obvious conclusion; the way we treat our planet is no different than the way we treat ourselves. 

We have been made to believe that the Earth is evil. That the soil is dirty and so we must be squeaky clean with cancerous anti-bacterial soaps and sprays that rapidly diminish our health. God-forbid should we play outside in the dirt and soil, it's evil and gross and will get our brand-name clothing messy. Stay inside where it's "comfortable" and where technology will save you and give you unending convenient distractions away from the natural world, numb your mind and make you miserable. And let's not forget those animals, those possessions and accessories of ours, filthy little things that don't have feelings or emotions. 

The further we disconnect ourselves from nature, from the natural world, the more miserable we become. The less we are actually Living at all. 

Children these days are said to be suffering from "nature deficit disorder" in which they no longer experience, explore, and enjoy the gifts of the outdoors and nature, and instead are lost to the enclosed world of electronics. Nature has become a stranger to them, much as it has to us. They don't know what fresh air is, what being immersed in nature feels like. They don't climb over rocks, discover the living creatures under their noses, or appreciate the beauty of a tree or an ocean. Because of this, it is no wonder we do not care for our planet, how can we when we don't even see it anymore? Children, and even adults, these days have lost the pleasures of swimming in lakes and oceans, of camping in the wilderness, of enjoying a bike ride, of climbing a tree, walking in the sand, going for a nature walk or hike, observing the birds and animals and insects. We must teach our children, by example and exploring with them, that nature is beautiful and wondrous and more important than a video game or the internet or television program. 

"This is a problem because the way we treat the world around us is a direct reflection of our values and beliefs. Compare the way we treat another species when we believe it is our biological kin rather than just a resource, commodity, or opportunity. The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it, and we will only protect what we know and love."

Let's face it; we are living in some fantasy world, immersed in the illusion that we are actually "content" with our "stuff" tucked away from nature and life. People are becoming increasingly anti-social, and, as humans, we are extremely social creatures. We rape and pillage the earth without regard, consume without thinking for two seconds where it was made and what resources were exploited. We treat animals like unwelcome beasts, whether it's an animal behind bars or the spider that just crawled into your home. We fear nature, from the soil to the living creatures, instead of loving, embracing, being in harmony with, and living amongst it. There is too much money to be made off of destroying the planet instead of preserving it. Which is why we are made to believe it is evil. What then when there's nothing left? Well in this fantasy world we don't need to think about that! Remember, there are no consequences, right? Hopefully you can see that this way of thinking is seriously flawed. It is getting us into deeper environmental turmoil and making us all unhappy beings when we could be prancing around with smiles on our faces playing in the sunshine and grass.

  

We cannot manipulate the world to our perfected liking. Playing God has only brought us further disaster. We cannot control nature, and in attempting to do so we are disrupting the careful intricate natural balance that doesn't need to be tampered with at all. Nature works for us, giving us real food, fresh air, and renewable resources. Humankind can never replace what Earth does naturally for us. We should not be afraid of the natural world, for it brings us balance, beauty, and happiness naturally. Is it not "infested" with animals and creatures. It is not "wild." It is not "savage." It is beautiful, tame, and so intricately perfectly connected to everything--including ourselves. It does not need "fixing." Our way of life needs fixing. We just need to reawaken to what we already know and feel but have long forgotten. We need to get our hands dirty, play in the soil, hug a tree, grow our own food, swim in its waters, observe animals in nature instead of as prisoners behind bars. We need to reconnect with Mother Earth and return to the natural way of things. Any true wisdom will tell you that true unblinded Happiness comes from letting go of this separation to the natural world and to return to it and be in harmony with it instead of being against it. Money does not buy happiness. Exploiting the Earth does not feed happiness. It is a lack of appreciation, of not being in the Here & Now and not accepting Things As They Are that is causing all of our problems and our depressed states of mind. 

Break free from this backwards way of living. Reconnect and appreciate and enjoy and love this world around us. Teach your children to love and respect their planet and the creatures and life that exist here. Teach anyone you can to love the natural world, to live among and in harmony with it instead of making it our enemy. In the end, it's all we really have and all we'll ever need. 

Take time out of your every day to be outside, to feel your bare feet in the grass, soil, mud, ocean, or lake. See and experience and explore all the joys that the real world has to offer. Give back and it will return that love to you. 

Get lost and find yourself. Reconnect with Nature. Reconnect with your Self. 

Peace & Love,

xo

~Bianca  

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☆ What's Going On: Pets; making Responsible Choices! ☆

We all woo and aww over cute puppies and kittens and pets, so much in fact that some of us don't always make the best choices. People impulsively buy from pet stores without thinking about whether or not they are ready for a pet in their home. Others think we love our little furbabies so much that we won't get them neutered or spayed because it seems cruel and, especially with guys,  there is a demasculating complex. But in the big picture it is both necessary and important.

Just a note, I prefer to use any other tern other than "pet owner" I believe this wording contributes to a bad mentality. I don't believe we really "own" pets, they are companions, children, members of the family. They are not possessions. K, on with the blog...

As pet guardians we have a responsibility to prevent unwanted animals from being euthanized. Every single day unwanted pets are left abandonned or left to animal shelters because they become unwanted. It is estimated that 6-8 MILLION animals enter animal shelters each year in the United States alone, roughly 3-4 million (half!!) of those will be euthanized because they will be unable to find a new home. Why? Because there is a huge over-population problem due to people not neutering or spaying their pets and due to people supporting puppy and kitty mills and breeders.  

Because of these numbers, no form of breeding can be concidered as responsible. 

Having a pet entails a certain responsibilty to prevent such circumstances:

★ Choosing a rescue pet from a shelter instead of breeders and stores.

and

★ Getting your pet spayed or neutered. 

There should be no exceptions. 

Adopt a Rescue Pet:

So many animals are in shelters because adoption rates are low. Every time someone buys a pet from a pet store or from breeders, the life of an animal at a shelter is lost.

Most pet stores get their animals from puppy mills or kitty mills where the animals have a lack of proper veterinary care and socialization, and are forced into unsanitary crammed living conditions. They end up with various health issues and can develop intense behavioral problems as a result. An estimated 6-8 millions puppies are killed each month at puppy mills because of food or behavioral problems.

The puppies and kittens are taken away from their mothers at too early an age to be transported in crates to various pet stores where they will spend their time in small spaces without human love or exercise, and where the public is free to tap on their glass windows and harrass them on a daily basis. And even if a pet store claims that they don't purchase their animals from puppy mills, nothing is to say that their supplier doesn't or that the breeder they are purchasing from has healthy ethics or does not inbreed.

At puppy mills, the animals are bred for quantity not quality where genetic defects are common and inbreeding occurs. People will often end up having to pay ridiculous veterinary bills due to the numerous health problems associated with pet-store animals. This is why many pet stores will give you a certain amount of money towards veterinary care when you purchase the animal. 

Many people make the exception because they want a "purebred" dog or cat, but the problem with this is, not only are you leaving an animal to die at a shelter, but there are also other problems associated with so-called "purebred" animals. The vast majority of purebred dogs and cats face inbreeding and therefor result in severe health problems as a result.  Whether the purebred animal is from a local breeder or a petstore, the standards are low for breeding and condition requirements and most are unmonitored at that.  An estimated 25% of dogs that end up in shelters are pure-breeds. And even if you are sure that the breeder is a good one, choosing that animal still leaves another to die in a shelter. 

Pet stores are also the biggest place for that impulsive buy because people are either sucked in by cuteness or think that they are doing the animal a favour by removing them from their small space and giving them a loving home. People often have not thought through the responsibilies of having a pet in their homes or the long-term commitment and are among the highest to end up giving their pet away, usually ending up in a shelter or abandonned on the streets. Buying from a pet store is also showing your support for them and means that they will stay in existence, breeding and contributing to the over-population problem. Remember, your dollars are your voice. Don't get your pet from a pet store. Without these stores, the incentive for puppy mills disappears as well. If you want to end the suffering of these animals at the hands of breeders and puppy mills then don't buy from a pet store. 

We'd also like to think that all shelters are humane and run by loving caring people, but this is not always the case. Euthanization is often humane, done by a needle in a dog's arm or a cat's stomach, but this is not always the case either. Though humane, it is an expensive method and when shelters can't afford to euthanize they turn to gas-chambers instead where it can take up to twenty minutes for the animal to die, crammed in a chamber together for the last frightened moments of their life to suffer. 

The best thing you can do is to prevent this population problem so that animals don't end up in shelters to begin with. 

Spaying or Neutering your Pet:

Spaying and neutering is the surgical sterilization of an animal so that they no longer can reproduce. 

The spaying or neutering of your pet can be the single most important thing you can do to save these animals from suffering and neglect and the over-population problem. 

A single unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67, 000 puppies in just six years. A single female cat and her offspring can produce 420, 000 kittens in just seven years!

You may think there's no harm when your pet has a litter and you are able to find homes for them all, but that is too far from the truth. Each of those pets takes a potential home away from a shelter animal waiting behind bars. You are taking away their chance to live. And you also can never be certain that the home you have given that litter to will be permanent or if they will end up being part of that large percentage of pets that end up in a shelter or abandonned on the streets. You also don't know that they won't neuter or spay the animal and then also go on to contribute to more and more unneeded offspring. 

Benefits of Sterilizing your Pet:

On a health stand-point, sterilized animals also live longer, happier lives. Spaying eliminates the stress that females endure during heat periods, eliminates the risk of uterine cancer, and greatly reduces the risk of mammary cancer. Neutering reduces the likelihood of males roaming and fighting, prevents testicular cancer, and reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Sterilized animals are also less likely to contract deadly and contagious diseases. 

Some people justify their decision to not get their pet sterilized because they are an indoor pet. But who's to say that the animal won't accidentally get out one day? Also, not sterilizing your pet and then keeping them away from the opposite sex is essentially mean. Pets have destructive and restless behaviours sometimes because they are trying to get out to seek out a mate. Getting your pet spayed or neutered, especially in males, eliminates sexual frustration, discomfort, and distress, making them happier and more content. It also eliminates their need to get out and roam, so your pet is less likely to run away. 

And if you are worried about your pet's personality changing then I am happy to tell you that you have nothing to worry about. The only changes that may occur are in the habits that you don't want your pet to have in the first place, such as urine-marking, fighting, roaming, and aggression. They are also more likely to be more affectionate and pay more attention to you because they will be less interested in finding a mate. 

There is no excuse for letting your pet reproduce. It is unnecessary and it is selfish. If you truly love animals then you will get your pet spayed or neutered. Period. 

So make the right Choice! 

Most people say they don't want to visit animal shelters because they are too depressing. It doesn't make them not exist. It doesn't take away the fact that those animals suffer. It doesn't take away the fact that half of those animals will be euthanized because you won't give them a home. Give them a chance. Get your new companion from a shelter, and get them spayed or neutered.

Before you get a pet also consider whether you are ready for it, whether you can afford it, whether you are able to keep that pet for the next 7-14 years of your life, whether you are ready to commit to it. Treat them like a member of your family, don't just give them away, make it work. Love them. Treat them with love and respect. Always. 

As long as people treat animals as toys, possessions, or commodities rather than as individuals with feelings, families, and friendships, widespread neglect and abuse is inevitable. 

Be a Responsible Pet-Carer. Make the right choices!

Peace & Love,

xo

~Bianca  

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☮ Be The Change: Consumer-Based Society ☮

As a general whole, we live in a very Negative Society. Most of us are actually aware of this, but that is often as far as the thought process goes. For those that don't already, we must start asking; Why? What we can change? What we can do?

The problem routes to the biggest downfall of humankind; Money. It is always about Money. If you look at any problem in the world I guarantee it will route back to the almighty Dollar. 

What's wrong with this? 

It has equalled a loss of ethics, of compassion, of equality, of respect for our planet and of ourselves. Our Wars, our destructive greed for oil, our raping the lands for resources, our incredibly unhealthy diets, all the cheap products and over manufacturing, all of these "Things"; they're all a result from the money-makers with dollar signs in their eyes. 

Economy is placed over Ecology. We may choose to ignore it, but this simply doesn't work. And all these economic crashes are proof of just that. Global Warming is another. But if there is money to be made in anything, the survival of our planet and ourselves, our health, wildlife, anything crucial to life is disregarded without a second thought. All for Things that we simply do not need and, ultimately, for money money money. 

It's not entirely our faults though. No, I'm not saying don't take responsibility--we are all responsible for becoming the solution and Not part of the problem. But our Society is built on a very powerful system of constant advertising and subliminal messages thrown in our faces on a continual basis to make us believe that we Need to buy things to make us happy. That we Need to buy things to make us beautiful. That we Need to buy things to make us socially accepted. Our Economy relies on your dissatisfaction with yourself and with life, and then your temporary satisfaction or "high" when you buy something new; something that usually becomes forgotten in anywhere from a day to maybe a couple of months until the next new Thing comes out on the market. 

If you were perfectly Happy with yourself, with life, and with what you already have then your need for consumerism would become very minimal. Our Society can't have this. Our Society Needs you to Need Things. Our entire world is based on these principles. If you actually start paying close attention to everything around you, you will see just how embedded into our lives consumerism is. Holidays are based on consumerism. Children's toys teach them at a young age that you need things. I'm not just talking about the buying of toys, but the toys themselves. Just look at Barbie. TV shows and movies teach us these same principles in one form or another. Magazines, billboards, everywhere and anything you will find these messages, you literally can't escape them. Consumerism is all around us, Everywhere!  

The other downfall of the system is this; if you Don't want to be a greedy consumer, you are practically frowned upon. Your social status becomes in question. The people around you think you're weird. Our society is built on this system of consumerism being so incredibly normal and embedded in our lives that we wouldn't think to question it. But people are beginning to more and more. And so what do you do when the rest of the world is not quite there? Be strong and stick to your principles! Be confident in YourSelf and in your Choices. Most people aren't confident in themselves, they're not really given the chance to discover themselves because our Society is there to distract them from actually Being. Our Society makes us believe that we Are the Things that we buy. Our Society makes you believe that you can find Happiness and your Self by buying things. But materialism truly means nothing at the end of the day. It does not bring Happiness,  it does not bring a greater sense of Self or self-worth. They are Distractions, to keep you Needing and Wanting. And it is a "Comfortable Blanket" so to speak, one that makes you not really want to leave it, but on the other hand never finding true happiness in it either. But you will keep searching for happiness in it because that's what you are made to believe. But we find our Selves and Happiness when we move Away from these greedy talons. And I'm talking about pure unreasonable Happiness, not that temporary "High" or what some of us think is happiness. We find genuine Happiness when we can learn to be happy with what we already have, when we learn to love ourselves as we are, when we embrace nature and connect with it instead of abusing it. 

It is no secret that this Neediness and Greed is destroying our Health, our Happiness, our sense of Self, our Environment, and our Homes. 

It is no big secret that our world is now based on Consumerism. It began after World War II to keep the Economy functioning after an economy based on war. Best quoted by Victor Lebow, an economist and retailing anylyst, published in 1955: 

"Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfactions, our ego satisfactions, in consumption. The measure of social status, of social acceptance, of prestige, is now to be found in our consumptive patterns. The very meaning and significance of our lives today is expressed in consumptive terms. The greater the pressures upon the individual to conform to safe and accepted social standards, the more he does he tend to express his aspirations and his individuality in terms of what he wears, drives, eats--his home, his car, his pattern of food serving, his hobbies. 

These commodities and services must be offered to the consumer with a special urgency. We require not only “forced draft” consumption, but “expensive” consumption as well. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing pace. We need to have people eat, drink, dress, ride, live, with ever more complicated and, therefore, constantly more expensive consumption. The home power tools and the whole “do-it-yourself” movement are excellent examples of “expensive” consumption." 

We know and feel deep down that there is something most certainly wrong with our current way of life. It's time for a Change. Let's be the revolution. Let's move into a world where we live harmoniously; with our planet and with our fellow selves. There is no need for Greed and Hate. 

Let's be Loving and caring. Let's enjoy Nature over our television screen. Let's be Happy! 

Let's start thinking before we impulsively Buy. Do you really need that? Is it fair-trade? Earth-friendly? Is it Local? Who and What are you supporting when you Buy? Choose better options--they are Always out there. 

Let's be the Generation that Thinks, instead of mindlessly Consumes. Let's place love and relationships and experiences over Things that distract us from truly Living. 

Let's "Be the Change you wish to see in the world." 

Peace & Love,

xo

~Bianca   

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