Animal Rebellion, including two ex-RSPCA trustees, met with the RSPCA earlier this month. The meeting was an opportunity to press the charity to take a formal stance against animal farming, and to support a transition to a plant-based system. 

Martin Whybrow is a former RSPCA branch trustee and now a member of the Animal Rebellion group. He said in a press statement, “It is impossible to meet the targets needed to limit global heating without the shift to a plant-based food system.” 

Whybrow continued, “Already, millions of humans and animals are suffering from the effects of extreme climate. It makes total sense for a charity dedicated to animal welfare to join the dots.”

RSPCA’s animal welfare standards

The RSPCA campaigns for the “highest possible standards” of animal welfare during the rearing, transportation, and slaughter of animals.

But the organization permits controversial practices, including the use of gas and maceration for the killing of day-old chicks.

“Done correctly, both methods can offer an effective and humane kill and our welfare standards set strict parameters stating how both of these methods must be carried out to ensure this is the case,” the RSPCA shared in a Tweet.

Advocating for a kinder food system

Animal Rebellion is asking the RSPCA to fulfil its mission statement and support a future where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion. 

“We ask the RSPCA how they can justify caring for dogs and cats while supporting the slaughter of the millions of farmed animals who are killed for food every year in the UK alone,” Animal Rebellion explained.

“Additionally, we ask the RSPCA how they can claim to care for and respect wild animals when they condone an industry that is one of the leading causes of the climate crisis.” 

The animal protection movement intends to continue taking action until “the world sees a food system that centers on climate, animal, and human justice, rather than unsustainable growth.”

The post Former Trustees Urge RSPCA To Reject Animal Farming In Favor Of Plant-Based Systems appeared first on Plant Based News.

The marketing strategy saw PETA teaming up with McDonald’s operators in Texas and California to buy 10,000 McPlant burgers, free from dairy cheese and mayo, for a giveaway campaign that began last month. 

The bigger picture

Concerning the unlikely collaboration, PETA shared: “Ordering a McPlant at a drive-through is no biggie to us, but it’s a matter of life and death for cows and perhaps for the buyer…

“PETA’s gift to thousands of people may introduce them to a healthier way to eat and show them how easy and delicious it is to grab a vegan meal these days.”

Joey Blanton, a McDonald’s franchisee in Texas, said that the PETA giveaway resulted in an “uptick” in sales. Blanton told Bloomberg, “PETA bought basically a bulk purchase for them to give away, that alone helped our numbers on the units sold per week.”

Marley Delgado, a coordinator for PETA’s McPlant campaign, also spoke to Bloomberg about the campaign. Delgado explained that the McPlant has the potential to “save millions of animals’ lives, which is our ultimate goal.” They added: “It’s helping sales, getting the word out there.”

The post PETA Buys 10,000 McPlant Burgers In Unlikely McDonald’s Collaboration appeared first on Plant Based News.

Four protesters used fire extinguishers to spray the building red, and dumped red paint inside the office. As part of the campaign, Animal Rebellion is urging the MSC to stop offering environmental certification to the fishing industry.

The MSC maintains that products donning its blue eco-label are sourced from a “sustainable fishery” that meets specific standards. The MSC zeroes in on three “core principles,” its website says, including Sustainable Fish Stocks, Minimizing Environmental Impact, and Effective Fisheries Management. 

Products and companies certified are subject to a yearly audit, and must be re-certified every five years.

But Animal Rebellion argues that there is no sustainable way to commercially fish, and that any such program is simply “certifying destruction.”

Animal Rebellion spokesperson and protester Orla Coghlan elaborated on the issue in a statement. 

“Evidence has shown that our oceans could be empty as soon as 2048 because of fishing. The MSC has a responsibility in their claims to be sustainable. They have a duty to revive the ocean when species are going extinct,” Coghlan said. 

“The solution to fishless seas and ocean acidification is obvious: the government and the Marine Stewardship Council need to fund a just transition from fishing to sustainable plant-based agriculture, such as seaweed and legumes. 

“The MSC are responsible for ensuring ‘sustainable’ fishing, however scientific evidence has shown that it is not possible to sustainably fish in our seas.”

MSC controversy

The public’s interest in sustainable consumption – especially relating to seafood and marine life – is on the rise. The hit documentary Seaspiracy – which quickly climbed into Netflix’s top ten most-watched films when it was released in 2021 – has been hailed as a driving force behind the change. 

Around the time the movie was released, Google searches for “sustainable fishing” shot up worldwide.

And the MSC did not escape criticism. Seaspiracy took a thinly veiled swipe at the non-profit, highlighting that the MSC is funded by the licensing fees paid by the fisheries and supermarkets which receive its certification.

In July 2021, The Guardian revealed the MSC’s labeled products were worth $12 billion (£9.5 billion) the year prior.

WWF, which co-founded the MSC in 1997, admitted in a 2016 report of its own that the certification scheme involves “troubling systemic flaws.” It has also called on the MSC to become “more rigorous” in its certification. 

Further, last year, WWF’s director of the WWF Mediterranean marine initiative, Giuseppe Di Carlo, told The Guardian that “I would not trust all of the fisheries [certified by MSC] to be sustainable.”

“WWF expects MSC to make reforms in the standard, and also in the assurance process, the implementation of standards.”

Animal Rebellion spokesperson Harley McDonald-Eckersall says a fishless food industry is key in boosting sustainable consumption.

“Despite increasing warnings of imminent climate catastrophe, these certifiers continue to promote these destructive industries,” they said.

“We’re here today to demand that they stop the hypocrisy and stop condoning an industry that is destroying the planet and killing the animals they claim to protect. A fully just, sustainable plant-based food system is the only way forward.”

The post Activists Call Out ‘Sustainable Fishing’ Certifiers For Destroying Oceans appeared first on Plant Based News.

But in actual fact, it’s simply just a creative spin on activism that focuses on cognitive dissonance. The aim of the website is to bring into question “why love one type of animal but eat the other?”

Elwood’s content has captured the attention of non-vegans and vegans alike, picking up over 40,000 followers on Facebook, with one viral post reaching over 9.8 million people across the world. 

Plant Based News (PBN) co-founder Robbie Lockie recently sat down with Molly Elwood herself to find out how she exactly came up with the unique concept that is Elwood’s Dog Meat Farm. 

Raising awareness

“I’ve been a vegan for six years, and I’d been trying to figure out what type of activism I wanted to do,” explained Elwood. Having tried raising awareness with blogs, and sharing documentaries exposing the realities of the meat industry, she decided to hatch out an entirely new concept with her husband.

Sharing how the couple came up with the concept, Elwood said, “My husband is vegan too, but he’s very analytical and he wanted the idea to be very logical and for it to hit all the points. And that’s how we landed on Elwood’s Organic Dog Meat.”

The activism was initially going to be carried out using car bumper stickers, but Elwood decided to also create a whole website posing as a sustainable dog meat farmer to spark people’s curiosity. 

“Two weeks in and I put it on social media. I expected vegans to hate the concept… but they played along, which really just amplified the content,” said Elwood. 

‘People are angry’

Speaking about some of the reactions she has received from the campaign, Elwood’s explained, “I made the bumper sticker for my car and I did have a lady chase me through a parking lot once. But online, I get a lot of direct messages… and people are angry.”

Having received plenty of encouragement from other vegans who understand the purpose of the website, Elwood has also encountered an endless amount of criticism and threats from people who believe the dog farm is actually real. 

“I have a voicemail that I set up, and I’ve received endless voicemails and threats from people who think that I actually run a dog farm… We’ve called a number of people back. Some people have figured it out and some get very belligerent,” said Elwood.

Exploring cognitive dissonance

Elwood’s activism involves parodying the language and messaging we see every day coming out of the meat industry, and encourages consumers to explore their cognitive dissonance around the animals they choose to put on their plates.

“People have these societal beliefs that they don’t question, and it’s easier to go along with the status quo, and then they have their core beliefs that they access from time to time when they’re with a dog. But when it’s disconnected from the animal and put on their plate, people can’t see the animal and it’s easier to not think about it, and this website brings the two together,” the activist said.

She goes on to explain that the campaign arouses anger and disgust, and being confronted with these feelings can trigger cognitive dissonance.  

“It’s very deconstructing… Elwood Dog Meat puts this right in front of people, and it’s a private personal experience. They know it’s not a vegan standing in front of them that they can fight with, it’s a mirror held up to them, they’re alone, they’re figuring this out. It’s making the connection,” she said.

Having made a strong impression within the activism community with her website Elwood’s Dog Meat Farm, Elwood hopes to continue advocating for animals through other thought-provoking campaigns with the help of billboards and demonstrations.

The post ‘Organic Dog Meat’ Company Highlights Speciesism In The Food System appeared first on Plant Based News.

The Lingerie Protest features Australian Dita Von Teese model and activist Stefania Ferrario, who wanted to draw attention to the cruelty animals face. 

In the documentary she said: “Unfortunately animals in animal agriculture have no bodily autonomy so for us to use our bodies to spread awareness was incredibly powerful.”

Fueled by the lack of news coverage about the devastation of animal agriculture, Ferrario teamed up with fellow activist and vegan influencer Tash Peterson.

They wanted to get the public’s attention and wake people up by whatever means necessary. 

Wearing nothing but lingerie and holding provocative signs, the two women brought together a group of vegan influencers who took to the streets of Melbourne to share their message. 

This started a wave of similar animal rights protests around the world.

Now women (and some men) are braving the streets of major cities in the US, Europe, and Asia in defense of animals, carrying signs with slogans such as “stop abusing animals” and “stop breastfeeding from cows.” The documentary is a collaboration between UnchainedTV and New York-based production company CaveLight Films.

To watch the Lingerie Protest, download the free UnchainedTV app via the iPhone or Android app stores. Or, enter UnchainedTV on your Roku device, AppleTV device, or Amazon Fire Stick. You can also download UnchainedTV on LG and Samsung SmartTVs.

Alternatively, visit UnchainedTV.com and click WATCH NOW.

Doing anything it takes to defend animals

This isn’t the first time these women have stood up for animals. Last year, Ferrario worked with PETA Australia on a campaign encouraging consumers to “leave wool behind.”

She appeared on billboards and in videos sharing the reality of Australia’s wool industry, where 70-80 percent of merino lambs are still mulesed, sometimes without pain relief.  

Mulesing is a surgical procedure that removes four strips of perineal skin to prevent a parasite infection known as flystrike.

In one PETA video Ferrario described the abuse at sheep shearing facilities in the country as “rampant.”

The international model has worked with some of the biggest fashion labels including Dita Von Teese, Myer, Target, and Berlei. 

She is said to have a clause in her contract stating she won’t wear any animal-derived materials in advertisements.

Meanwhile, Peterson is notorious for activism in Australia and online, where she’s known by the name Vgan Bootyy on Instagram. Peterson made headlines in 2021 after entering a Louis Vuitton store in Perth wearing nothing but panties.

She was reported to have said she was protesting against cruelty in the leather, wool, and fur industries.

Global protests

The protests taking place for the UnchainedTV mini series have already reached millions and helped spark important conversations around the world. 

Not all protestors were able to walk the streets in lingerie though. In Japan, where there is a risk of being arrested for such an act, the women participating chose to wear Santa costumes instead.

The seven-minute pilot episode, available free for subscribers to the UnchainedTV network, raises questions about animal welfare, the climate crisis, body autonomy, and woman empowerment. 

It includes high quality footage of the global lingerie protests and interviews with Ferrario, as well as high-profile protestors who took part in New York, Tokyo, and Switzerland.

Renowned vegan content

Those tuning into UnchainedTV will also gain access to classic vegan movies, including Earthlings, Countdown to Year Zero, The Invisible Vegan, and Vegucated. But also cutting-edge climate campaigns.

Viewers will find plant-based recipes and profiles for some of the world’s most successful vegan business leaders and plant-powered athletes.

Visit UnchainedTV.com to learn more.

* This is a paid-for advertorial.

The post Bold Women In Lingerie Protest For Animal Rights In UnchainedTV Documentary appeared first on Plant Based News.

Mazatlán is the only town in the state that still holds the fights.

Campaigners are celebrating the decision, which was agreed upon unanimously by the Congress of Sinaloa. 

Sinaloa joins Sonora, Guerrero, Coahuila, and Quintana Roo in outlawing the cruel practice. There’s still a long way to go though — bullfighting is still legal in 27 Mexican states.

‘Important’ reform to animal welfare

Animal welfare has ramped up in recent years with law changes and higher fines now imposed for acts of cruelty.

Humane Society International/Mexico sent a statement to PBN on the news. Animal cruelty program manager Felipe Marquez explained: 

“This is an important reform in Mexico.

“Because it reflects the views and sentiments of the majority of Mexican citizens who believe that bullfighting should be banned. 

“We cannot hope to tackle violence in our society if we still allow animals to be stabbed to death for our entertainment.”

The comment came in light of an almost decade-old study that revealed 73 percent of Mexicans are in favor of banning bullfighting.

Bullfighting around the world

Globally, around 250,000 bulls are still killed in bullfights every year.

Alongside much of Mexico, the industry still operates in Spain, France, Portugal, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador.

As part of the “fights,” the human “bullfighter” or matador is tasked with killing the animal in front of a crowd.

According to Humane Society International, this is an “agonizing death.” 

The matador often misses the target (a tiny area between the bull’s shoulders) with his sword, resulting in injuries to the bull’s lungs and bronchial tubes, causing blood to flow through the injured animal’s mouth and nose.

Fortunately, the industry appears to be in its final days. This latest ban comes two years after Spanish bullfighters asked the government for €700 million to save the “sport” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The post Bullfighting Banned In 5th Mexican State As Part Of Animal Welfare Reform appeared first on Plant Based News.

Leading vegan charity Viva! exposed one of the country’s largest poultry producers Hook 2 Sisters this winter. And “disturbing scenes” were recorded, from vast overcrowding to dead birds strewn across shed floors.

It comes as the UK is observing its “largest-ever” outbreak of bird flu, which can occur when birds are crammed in tight sheds. This provides what Viva! brands the “perfect petri dish for disease.”

Lincolnshire turkey farm investigation

This October, Viva! investigators obtained footage from a barn owned by Hook 2 Sisters, which supplies the likes of Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Marks & Spencer.

Across several images, injured birds were shown living amongst dead carcasses. Moreover, one turkey was seen bleeding from the head.

Despite these findings, Hook 2 Sisters maintains it ensures the “highest level” of animal welfare. Additionally, meat produced from its premises is Red Tractor assured.

According to The Independent, inspectors with Red Tractor made a visit to the farm this week and covered no welfare problems.

‘Utterly depressing’

“Animal agriculture is abhorrent for animals, whatever the system. But factory farms like these also pose significant threats to human health and the climate catastrophe,” said head of investigations, Lex Rigby.

The turkeys on Hook 2 Sisters are treated as “nothing more than Christmas commodities,” Rigby added.

Veterinarian Dr. Mark Abraham branded the footage “utterly depressing.”

“I was appalled to see dead birds left rotting on the farm floor, which not only presents an obvious risk to hygiene.

“But, also poses a potential disease risk to the whole flock, particularly now with Avian Flu cases worryingly on the rise.

“It’s hard to imagine that any sufficient, adequate, and important health and welfare checks were routinely carried out on this particular turkey farm,” Abraham added.

The post Footage Uncovers ‘Depressing’ Scenes And Bird Flu Risk On UK Turkey Farm appeared first on Plant Based News.

Animal rights campaigners are branding the reconstructions of the animals as “hideously cruel.”

In the “biggest” crackdown on Saudi pageants of the sort, it was uncovered that owners had stretched the camels’ lips and noses, and used hormones to expand their muscles.

Camels pumped with botox at beauty pageant

It occurred at the annual King Abdulaziz camel festival, which takes place across an entire month.

Here, breeders compete for a staggering $66 million in prize money, The Guardian reports. They judge each camel based on the shape of their heads, necks, and humps and also take into account their posture.

But following a slew of reports owners had been manipulating the animals’ appearances, strict penalties could be imposed.

However, campaigners say the clampdowns don’t go far enough and that animal welfare protections are lacking across the Middle East.

In a statement sent to PBN, leading animal protection charity PETA stressed just this.

Senior vice president for PETA Asia, Jason Baker, explained how the entire camel beauty contest is a “cruel farce.”

This is because the animals are “treated like slaves,” where they’re beaten and then slaughtered for their meat. 

“Subjecting any animal to a cosmetic procedure, from ear cropping to declawing, dehorning, and filler injections is hideously cruel. And, shows the humans who use such tactics to be extremely ugly,” Baker added.

Animal rights in the Middle East

The contest has also incurred questions about wider animal rights issues across the Middle East.

It must be addressed across wider Asia too, where camels are forced to perform in circuses, Baker said. Further investigations show how camels are “beaten bloody” in the tourism trade.

He added: “PETA calls on Saudi authorities to crack down on any event that exploits and abuses animals, including this one, and to ban forcing camels, much-abused donkeys, and malnourished horses to give tourist rides.”

However, there have been steps towards establishing better welfare practices across the region this year alone.

For example, Turkey passed a new law meaning animals would no longer be classed as “commodities,” in a bill that acknowledges them as living beings.

PETA is also not alone in calling for a ban on circuses. HAYTAP, an animal rights federation in Turkey, criticized the new law because it doesn’t include zoos or fur farms.

The post Camels Pumped With Botox Fillers In ‘Hideously Cruel’ Saudi Arabia Beauty Contest appeared first on Plant Based News.

It was organized with the Yes Men, a team specializing in exposing corporate “wrongs.” Today, it mounted an elaborate culture jamming campaign, calling out the coffee giant for dietary racism.

Starbucks spoof

On Thursday morning, a spoof site aka StarbucksCares.com and video announced that Starbucks would drop its upcharge on plant-based milks, and instead raise prices of dairy-based drinks.

The initiative was launched with a magnificent new themed cup – the Justice Cup – a corporate social responsibility masterpiece that allows consumers to proudly, and vapidly, show their concern for racial equity.

The spoof immediately grabbed headlines from news outlets including Business Insider and the Daily Caller, among others. 

The “initiative” reflected the fact that 65 percent of the world’s population cannot digest dairy. This is a condition known as lactose intolerance, which disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, as a fake spokesperson with the title “Starbucks equality innovations director” explained. 

Media onslaught

However, Starbucks was quick to deny it was doing the right thing and said the company has “known about ethnicity-related lactose intolerance for many years.” 

“We assure our most valued customers that we would never place the burden of a dairy upcharge on them,” the company told Yahoo! News. “

It added: “We categorically deny the accusations of ‘dietary racism’ in this false announcement. Starbucks is and always has been a vigorous defender and promoter of people of all the colors.” 

Cue the record scratch…wait, what? “People of all the colors?” Did Starbucks really say that? 

As it turns out, it didn’t. That, too, was part of Switch4Good’s spoof.

The Starbucks denial was part of Switch4Good’s campaign to highlight the dietary racism of plant-based upcharges.

The facts are correct. Lactose intolerance disproportionately affects communities of color.

Ninety-five percent of Asians, up to 80 percent of Black and Latinx people, and more than 80 percent of Indigenous Americans cannot digest dairy, versus only 15 percent of white people. 

Dietary racism

“While sadly it isn’t true that Starbucks is changing its policy, what is true is that profiting off of people of color who are only trying to maintain their health is systemic racism,” said Dr. Milton Mills, MD, an urgent care physician in Washington DC.

Dr. Mills has published several research journal articles addressing racial bias in federal nutrition policy.

“By the numbers, more people of color are forced to pay extra, which makes it not just an upcharge but an unfair and racially targeted overcharge.”

Switch4Good advocates dropping dairy not only for health but also for environmental reasons.

Starbucks—the real Starbucks—openly acknowledges that dairy products are the single biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions across its operations and supply chain and the second-highest contributor to water withdrawal. 

What does Switch4Good think?

“Starbucks has ignored our efforts to encourage them to right this injustice, so we had to resort to another way to communicate this important issue,” Switch4Good executive director Dotsie Bausch told PBN.

When people choose plant-based milk, they’re doing something for their health, for the responsibility, we all have to our planet and they are standing up for justice for all beings.

“These reasons should always be more important than a corporate bottom line.”

Switch4Good has a history of advocacy for food justice.

It has petitioned the USDA to remove dairy from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), and testified on Capitol Hill. It succeeded, alongside other NGOs, in getting soy milk recognized as nutritionally equivalent to dairy in the DGA, and is currently working to ensure schools have access to, and reimbursement for, soy milk.

Its multidisciplinary and multicultural coalition that includes BIPOC clinicians, dietitians, activists, athletes, and other thought leaders, works to pressure lawmakers into enacting fairer, healthier nutrition policy.

The post Leading Dairy-Free Advocacy Group Claims Credit for Starbucks Spoof appeared first on Plant Based News.

The Urban Outrage online “store” allows users to peruse handbags, pants, jackets, shoes, dresses, belts, and skirts, as well as skincare and dog collars. The website is made to look as realistic as possible, with links to shipping and delivery pages, job opportunities, and gift cards. But a closer look reveals that the “products” (which are not actually purchasable) are made with faux human body parts, including teeth, faces, and oozing blood. 

The site also advertises an Afterlife Collection, which claims to “turn your loved one’s skin into a handmade item for you to cherish.” It includes step-by-step descriptions of the “leathering process.”

There are even fake customer reviews: “I’m not really a boot person, but I’m glad Meg was, because these are the best boots I’ve ever worn,” one reads.

‘A living being is a living being’

But once the user engages in the content, the campaign takes a(n even darker) turn as a secret webpage is unlocked.

“When it comes to ripping off skin, a living being is a living being,” the hidden site states.

“If you own animal-derived materials like wool, leather, alpaca, cashmere, mohair, down, or silk, you’ve bought into barbaric industries involving violent practices that would be considered cruel and unusual were they performed on humans,” it adds. 

The secret site contains images of distressed and decapitated animals within the fashion industry, as well as descriptors of the methods used.

“Animals are not fabric, and their skin is not ours for the taking,” commented PETA Director Elisa Allen. “Urban Outraged by PETA US challenges shoppers to see the individual behind every bit of animal skin and leave those products on the shelves.”

The website’s call to action encourages people to sign a petition urging Urban Outfitters to ditch animal-derived products for good. So far, it has garnered nearly 130,000 signatures.

Those interested can sign the petition here. You can visit the Urban Outraged website here.

The post New Fashion Range Made With ‘Human Skin’ Takes Aim At Urban Outfitters For Using Leather appeared first on Plant Based News.