Icky Article

I read an extremely disturbing article today. However, I should begin by confessing that I  subscribe to PETA on my Facebook page, and get regular updates of the goings on via their site. I know what you're probably thinking, I've heard it a thousand times: "PETA is a crock, their representatives are insane, and they use drastic measures to get their point across". While I agree that PETA is a little rash sometimes, I remain more disturbed by the needless slaughter of innocent animals. So I will keep my subscription. 

The article told a tale girl named Elizabeth Carlisle, an ex-employee of Pet Land who thought it fun to drown two bunny rabbits during her shift. She had her manager take a photo of herself grinning, holding a dripping bunny corpse near each cheek. Carlisle posted the photo on her Facebook page, explaining that she had drown the two rabbits after they had injured each other fighting. One was even missing an eye. The only good bits of news in the article were that Carlisle now faces criminal charges, and that that particular Petland location has been closed and is not due to reopen. 

While these are both positive outcomes to an extremely grotesque and disheartening situation, the fact remains that these actions are simply not enough. I have a better solution:

How about we stop breeding and selling animals like it's a sport? How about we close ALL pet stores and treat animals like living creatures, not objects to be caged and sold. Such behavour on our part is disgusting. 

Unfortunately, there is not much room for these animals if they are not living in our pet stores and zoos. So...  say we also raise awareness of the rapidly growing human population and commit to having ONE child per couple. Lets educate people about the serious danger this growth poses for ourselves, our environment, and our animal friends. While we are educating people about the impact of human population growth, how about we also throw in some statistics about the meat industry's impact on the environment. Such as these from Goveg.com:

• It takes about 300 gallons of water per day to produce food for a vegan, and more than 4,000 gallons of water per day to produce food for a meat-eater.   
• You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year.
• [F]ood for a vegan can be produced on only 1/6 of an acre of land, while it takes 3 1/4 acres of land to produce food for a meat-eater.

(http://www.goveg.com/worldHunger-animalAgriculture.asp)

Perhaps we could aim for a world in which animals are allowed to live in their natural habitats, untouched by humans, instead of settling for a world in which pet shop employees are no longer allowed cameras in back-rooms. 

Considering we are the self-dubbed cleverest species on the planet, we can be awfully thick. Oh well. I'm still a turtle.