Saving Animals: A Vegan Veterinarian's Perspective

Source: PETA Prime

(December 10, 2020) As a reprieve from the pandemic, politics, and the busy holiday season, I would like to offer a glimpse into the world of saving animals from a vegan veterinarian’s perspective. At the age of 30, I had an early midlife crisis while working as an investment banker in New York City. Fortunately, I found a way to help animals by switching careers and becoming a veterinarian. After seven years of studying and a one-year internship, my dream came true! Little did I know at the time that I would learn some of the ugliest secrets about animal abuse and exploitation in vet school...Read more»

 

A Lesson for Humanity From 17 Million Doomed Creatures

Source: The New York Times

(November 16, 2020) It’s not news that life on earth is out of balance. We already know that human behavior — not just in burning fossil fuels but also in food production, wilderness fragmentation, habitat degradation and overpopulation, among other planetary depredations — has imperiled everything from global biodiversity to the actual weather. In the general public, however, warnings from scientists and environmental activists have fallen mostly on deaf ears, even when those depredations come with a cost to us...Read more»

 

3 core myths about eating animals -- and why food tech may vanquish them

Source: Vox.com

(November 10, 2020) In 1989, the social psychologist Melanie Joy became a vegetarian almost by accident. She ate a hamburger contaminated with campylobacter and became so ill that she couldn’t stomach the idea of eating meat again. So she set about learning new ways to cook for a meatless diet, reading cookbooks and doing research. In the process, she started to learn about the suffering of non-human animals, the suffering of workers on factory farms, and the environmental toll exacted by animal agriculture. This new knowledge shocked her...Read more»

 

Veterinary Forensics

Source: Veterinary Focus

(October 20, 2020) “When animals are abused, people are at risk; when people are abused, animals are at risk.” This quote from Phil Arkow, an internationally recognized campaigner for human-animal interactions and violence prevention, is as good an introduction as any to the subject of animal abuse and what it means to society. Animal abuse can be defined as “an intentional act that causes harm to an individual” and is a worldwide problem, causing an incalculable degree of animal suffering. However, despite the vast amount of suffering involved, animal abuse has so far received scant attention as a research subject...Read more»

 

Punishment to Support: The Need to Align Animal Control Enforcement with the Human Social Justice Movement

Source: MDPI

(October 16, 2020) The current emphasis on enforcement and punishment in animal control policy has disproportionately negative impacts on low-income communities in the United States (US), particularly people of color. In this way, animal protection efforts are perpetuating many of the same inequities under examination in the human social justice movement. Reallocating the resources that have historically gone towards enforcement in communities to efforts that provide support in addressing the root causes of animal welfare concerns is needed to improve outcomes for pets in historically underserved communities...Read more»

 

Stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog, the Royal Veterinary College warns

Source: Science Focus

(October 14, 2020) The popularity of many flat-faced dog breeds such as French bulldogs has risen dramatically in recent years despite regular assertions that they are prone to many health issues including breathing problems and sore eyes. However, there has been limited reliable evidence on the wider general health of flat-faced, or brachycephalic, dogs compared to other dogs. Now, a study led by the Royal Veterinary College’s VetCompass programme, examining the overall health of a random sample of 4,169 flat-faced dogs compared to 18,079 others attending veterinary practices in the UK has confirmed that brachycephalic dogs are more likely to suffer from a range of health disorders...Read more»

 

Futurevores: "Humane" Meat and Other Proteins for Pets Are Coming Soon

Source:  AHAA (membership required to view full article)

(September 2020) Concerns about health, sustainability, climate change, and animal welfare have pushed food technology companies to develop protein alternatives to conventional meat for consumers. Plant-based options from Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, for example, are familiar to many vegetarians, vegans, and “flexitarians,” those who occasionally eat meat or fish. Now those same concerns are driving biotech companies to focus on protein alternatives to traditional sourcing for pet foods and treats. Some plant- and fungi-based options are already available, and “cultured”—also known as slaughter-free—meat is expected to be among the choices in the next few years...Read more»

 

Deconstructing the spay/neuter debate

Source: Animal Sheltering

(Summer 2020) When pet owners hear that spay/neuter is associated with an increased risk of a particular disease, they’re understandably alarmed. What’s too often missing from the discussion is that spay/neuter decisions shouldn’t be based on the impact on a small handful of diseases. Instead, we must look at the overall health and longevity of the animal. And where research seems to point to a potential increase in occurrence of a particular disease, we must consider disease incidence and be prepared to explain why a decreased incidence of a common disease outweighs the potential increased risk of a rare one...Read more»

 
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