Kategorie: Animals

 

Dogs Could Freeze to Death Without Our Help

We urgently need your support this winter so that we can rush relief to more cold, neglected dogs kept outside without proper shelter.

 

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To celebrate the start of Pisces season on February 19, PETA scoured the country for the Top Faux-Fish Dishes of 2021—and local vegan favorite Cheeze Factory Restaurant has netted a spot on the list for its Fisch Fry Sandwich, which consists of two fried fish-free fillets served on a grilled ciabatta bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and a side of tartar sauce.

“Cheeze Factory Restaurant’s vegan twist on a takeout classic is the perfect fish-friendly way to celebrate Pisces season,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “Every eatery on PETA’s list is making a splash with diners who recognize fish as the sensitive individuals they are, are concerned about the state of our oceans and rivers, or just want to reduce their cholesterol.”

More fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined. They slowly suffocate or are crushed to death when they’re yanked out of the oceans in huge nets, and the stomachs of those who survive are cut open on the decks of fishing boats while they’re still alive.

Each person who goes vegan saves nearly 200 animals every year; reduces their risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity; and can even help prevent future pandemics, as SARS, swine flu, bird flu, and COVID-19 all stemmed from confining and killing animals for food.

Other winners on PETA’s list include the Bagel & Lox from ESSEN in Cincinnati; the Spicy Salmon from Old Abe & Co. in Rochester, Minnesota; the Tuna Salad from Kindred in New Orleans; and the Phish & Chips from Earth Aloha Eats in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Each eatery will receive a framed certificate from PETA, which also offers lists of ready-to-heat vegan seafood products available at grocery stores and fabulous vegan fish recipes on its website.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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Crayfish (aka “crawfish” or “crawdads”) are freshwater crustaceans who look like small lobsters. They live on every continent except Antarctica, but these animals are killed just to be listed on menus in America’s southern states.

Humans and crayfish obviously look different, and we function a bit differently, too. When it comes to our primary senses, about 40% of crustaceans’ brains are dedicated to picking up on and deciphering smells, whereas 30% of humans’ brains are devoted to visual processing. But what we have in common is more important: We are both sensitive animals. Studies show that crayfish can get nervous in stressful situations and can feel anxious about the unknown and that their brains produce serotonin to counteract the stress—just as humans’ do.

Three Reasons to Keep Crayfish out of Your Po’ Boys and Gumbos

1. Crayfish are complex, ancient animals who can feel pain.

Crayfish burrows have been around for 100 million years. These fascinating animals even have the ability to regenerate lost limbs! Just like their lobster cousins, crayfish have a fully functioning nervous system and suffer when they’re torn apart. It’s clear that they feel pain, because they limp when injured, release adrenaline-like hormones when hurt, and fight for their lives to escape being boiled alive. This crayfish who couldn’t accept such a horrific fate attempted to escape from the boiling pot they were dropped in among their murdered kin:

And this crayfish amputated their own claw in order to escape a violent and painful death:

Like all animals, crayfish want to live, and when left alone in their natural homes, they can do so for 30 years. We may not be able to hear their screams as they’re boiled alive, but we can listen to science—scientists have proved beyond any doubt that crayfish, fish, lobsters, crabs, and other sea animals feel pain.

Lobsters can detect temperature changes as low as 1 degree. So, yes, they can absolutely feel it when they’re dropped into boiling water—and it hurts. In fact, their brains lack the system that would allow them to go into shock when experiencing unbearable pain, so they feel everything—even more than you would.

2. Eating crayfish is unsustainable.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, there are almost 400 species of crayfish living in the U.S. alone and about half of them are considered endangered, threatened, or vulnerable to extinction. If they disappear, this will affect fish, birds, and other animals who rely on crayfish as a food source.

A new study has found that in some cases, trawling for crustaceans can produce as much carbon dioxide as raising land animals like cows for food and almost as much as raising chickens and pigs.

3. Eating crayfish can make you sick.

Shellfish poisoning is no joke. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year in this country, 80,000 people fall ill—and 100 die—after becoming infected by Vibrio, a type of bacteria sometimes found in shellfish. Numerous studies have also found high levels of mercury and other toxic chemicals (including DDT, PCBs, and dioxin, which have been linked to cancer, nervous system disorders, and fetal damage) in fish’s flesh.

Eating vegan lets you enjoy all the best flavors of the bayou. Creole seasoning is made of garlic, onion, basil, thyme, pepper, paprika, salt, and other herbs (recipes vary)—all of which are vegan—and makes your tofu, tempeh, rice, pasta, vegan shrimp, jambalaya, gumbo, slaw, and veggies so good that you might just shout beignet! (ben-YAY)

The best way to help crayfish, lobsters, crabs, and all other animals is to go vegan:

Meet Your Vegan Mentor Today

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As winter storms affect Bexar County, PETA offers tips for keeping animals safe. They are especially vulnerable in cold weather and winter storms, and there were at least 37 cold weather–related companion animal deaths in 2019. (Those are just the ones that were reported—most aren’t.) A glimpse of just some of the dogs PETA’s fieldworkers have found suffering in the cold this winter can be seen here.

The following steps can go a long way in helping animals survive this Arctic blast and other cold weather:

• Bring Them Indoors

Companion animals should always live indoors. “Backyard dogs” and “outdoor cats”—like those featured in Breaking the Chain, the new documentary produced by Oscar winner Anjelica Huston—often go without adequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care. They are no better equipped to survive freezing temperatures or extreme weather conditions than humans are, they suffer terribly from frostbite, and they can die of exposure.

• Gear Up

Coats will keep dogs comfortable in cold weather, secure harnesses can help prevent them from getting loose on walks, and booties will protect their sensitive paw pads from the frozen ground. Keep walks short in cold weather, especially for shorthaired dogs.

• Don’t Forget Birds

During extreme winter weather, provide birds and other wild animals with access to an emergency water supply by filling a heavy nonmetal water bowl (tongues can freeze to metal) and breaking the surface ice at least twice a day.

Good Samaritans who see companion animals kept chained or penned outside 24/7 or without adequate shelter from the elements should note the animals’ exact location and alert local law-enforcement authorities immediately. Anyone who leaves animals outside to suffer in severe weather may be prosecuted.

Would you also please consider sharing our cold-weather public service announcement? For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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