Tag Archives: farm animals

“LET’S DISCUSS” SERIES #1: PART 2

Thank you to all who took the time to fill out the questionnaire on my first post in this series. I want to take a few minutes to explain a little more why I am doing this. I am not doing this for me. I am not doing this to get more likes or followers. I am not doing this to add more content to my blog. I am doing this for animals. How do I mean? Well here is an example. I made a comment on a social media post about the treatment of farm animals and that I do not believe God would approve. Someone respectfully (which is very appreciated) asked me in reply “what about the sacrifices of animals in the bible?” I was thrilled to have someone ask me this (again…respectfully asked). Dialogue is what I want. Dialogue is how we all learn from each other. THAT is why I am doing this series! 😊

So let’s get on to Part 2 of “Feelings & Emotions.”

Here is the link to the second questionnaire: Let’s Discuss Series: “Feelings & Emotions” Part 2. It will take less than a minute to fill out but will make a huge impact! Thank you in advance!

The Way the World Views Them is Why They’re Treated as They Are

I‘ve been wrestling with the best way to apply my advocacy for animals the last few years. I still don’t have it figured out but the same thoughts keep coming to mind. How can I change the way the world views animals? The way the world views them is why they are treated as they are.

I just watched a video of a man putting tape around a dog’s front and back legs and his mouth. Flopping him around like he was nothing. The whole time this dog was moving around his big dark brown eyes with such fear. This man proceeded to move the dog around like a piece of luggage without any concern for this living being. He proceeded to fling him on the back of his motor bike and sped off. While driving the dog falls of the motorbike onto the road. The guy picks him up like a piece of garbage and flops him back on the bike, this time without even fastening him down. He takes off with one hand on the dog trying to hold him on. You see he was on his way to a “client” to sell this dog for meat. The reality is much worse treatment happens to cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals every day. All for humans, for “normal” society, for food on the table. And while this is happening the animal, the living being, is experiencing extreme fear, panic, and pain.

I am sad (and truth be told angry) that I live in a world where other living beings are seen as less and as something we can do whatever we want with. As long as no one talks about it, as long as we keep hiding our heads in the sand, as long as we cover our eyes & ears and chant “la la la la la” we’ll just keep on trucking.

Not me, not us who can’t keep on trucking. Who in good conscious can’t turn their back on these animals. I don’t know what the answer is and I am unsure of my next chapter of animal advocacy. I’ll just keep praying for clarity on this.

Some people worry about how this affects my own well-being, but the truth is I would be worse off if I didn’t do anything. I couldn’t live with myself. Much of my therapy is in writing posts such as this. It’s a way to let some of the anger, frustration, and sadness out.

I would like to end by letting you know the dog I spoke of in this post was saved by a kind man who saw what the guy was doing to him. The kind man followed him, chased him, stopped him over & over trying to talk the guy into giving up the dog. He finally did! The kind man immediately took all the tape off of the dog and gave him lots of well-deserved pets, hugs, and kisses.

*TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED, EVEN IF THEY’RE A DIFFERENT SPECIES.*

I Will Never See it as “Normal”

As I’ve mentioned before, I now only write posts when I actually have something to say. In the past I was forcing the posts just to be sure to have something out there on a regular basis because that’s what I thought I had to do. But when I was doing that blogging was no longer fun, it was work. Something I’ve been thinking a lot about and wrestling with for so long is what society sees as “normal” treatment of animals. This is also a part of why I stopped writing posts. Sometimes there are so many thoughts swirling around, so many questions, so much hurt that it becomes hard to put it in words. But I am once again attempting to put them in words.

I understand going along with what seems “normal” I also have done this. It is only when I took the time to read, research, look in an animals’ eyes, and empathize (put myself in their shoes) that I was able to allow myself to see the truth.

I made the following graphic with these thoughts I’ve been having in mind.

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Sunday Pause (Paws): Animals Need To Relax Too

It’s Sunday! Time to kick back & relax and relaxing isn’t just for us.

There are so many animals that never get to really relax. Cows kept in confinement and hooked up to machines so humans can take their milk. Calves kept in the smallest possible area so they don’t build muscle so humans can have veal. Elephants chained up so they can “perform” for humans. Pit bulls living every minutes in fear of abuse so humans can use them to make money in dog fights. The list goes on but since I try to keep my Sunday posts “light” I will stop there. You get the idea!

But the theme of WHO is causing all of this harm is humans. I can’t help but imagine what God would say if we sat down and asked him what he thought about how humans treat his animals.

Cino is able to curl up and relax this Sunday and I hope the animals in your care are able to as well.

cat resting
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Sunday Pause (Paws): Scrambled Thoughts

It’s Sunday! Time to kick back & relax.

I haven’t been relaxing yet but it’ll come later. I’m working on laundry and other household tasks first. So speaking about laundry, at our new place we have a nice front load washer. I have heard they can leave an unpleasant smell behind in the washer, which I have found to be very true, and it seems my laundry never smells good. Today for the first time I am trying “UNStopables” scent beads. The laundry isn’t done yet but I can smell it while it’s going and it smells good, so hopefully so will my laundry.

Anyway, that isn’t what I was going to write about, although I am writing on scrambled thoughts. 🙂

It isn’t always easy for me to write a post unless I have a specific conversation or situation through the week that gives me an idea for one. There hasn’t been any of that lately, but I have been having a lot of thoughts about animals. They’re so scrambled it’s been hard to pull them together to write a post. I finally decided just to go ahead and let them out even if they come out scrambled. Mostly I have been thinking about how I feel like I or other animal loving people have to use so much time & energy in convincing other people about animal’s rights. You see to me it seems like it should be obvious. God created them and God gave us the job to care for them. Period.

If you believe in God, you probably believe that when this world ends there will be no more Continue reading

Sunday Pause (Paws): Conversations Require True Listening

It’s Sunday! Time time kick back & relax. Maybe make a Sunday feast, watch a movie, or just have a good conversation with someone.

Most of the time my posts come from something that occurred during the week. There hasn’t been much occurring so it’s been harder to write posts. I suppose we can blame it on the pandemic because we haven’t been getting out and doing things. But I have been working out in the field this entire time and the other day I had a conversation with a coworker that prompted this post.

I was filling in for a teacher so she could take her break. It was lunch time for the kids. Lunch was hamburgers, vegetables, and fruit. The other teacher asked me “are you vegetarian or vegan?” I answered “vegetarian on the way to vegan.” He asked what I meant by that. I told him I am having a hard time giving up cheese and that I need to work on finding other products to use as a binder instead of eggs. He said “if they’re raised and cared for right and treated humanely it shouldn’t be a problem, but that is the problem they aren’t.” I replied “yes, they aren’t.” He then said “you could raise your own chickens so you can raise them humanely.” I replied “it’s not just about raising them humanely. I truly believe that God did not create animals just so we can slaughter them and harm them. I know that’s seen as normal but Continue reading

Sunday Pause (Paws): Food Fun

It’s Sunday! Time to kick back and relax.

Who out there likes food? Just kidding. I think it’s safe to say we all do. Some of us like it a bit too much. 😁 But what kind of food we like is different.

I am a vegetarian and may some day be vegan. I have never been a big fan of meat, it always bothered me that I was eating an animal. About 5 years or so ago I decided I couldn’t do it anymore. I can’t eat what I advocate for. I always thought if I fought for humane treatment of farm animals that was good enough. But it’s not. I don’t believe we were meant to eat them and that we do and consider it “normal” is just part of the fallen world.

I am not trying to make any of you feel guilty. But I do hope you give some thought to it. There are many plant based and dairy free foods out there that are very delicious and that you can have a lot of fun with.

Today I wanted to share what I just recently discovered…the White Castle Impossible Slider, oh my….yum!

 

I haven’t eaten a White Castle in forever. But after trying this, I’ll be a more regular guest.

Have you tried it? Or any food with Impossible meat? If not, I challenge you! You’ll love it!

Happy Sunday!

 

Sunday Pause (Paws): Caring Doesn’t Stop

It’s Sunday! Time to kick back & relax. Me…I’ve been taking a pause to think about, SURPRISE, animals!

Seriously though, during times like these I sometimes wonder…what do  others think of me because I’m worried about animals during a human crisis? People are dying, losing their jobs, social distancing, etc. I wonder if they are thinking who cares about animals?

But this affects animals too. People are dumping their pets or giving them up because they lost their job and can’t provide for them any longer. Or some are worried they will catch the virus from them.

Factory farm animals…well let me start off by saying I really do not like them. The fact that they are called a “factory” farm in itself shows no living being should be subjected to a life there. I just read about a bunch of chickens that were loaded up, gassed, and then Continue reading

Sunday Pause (Paws): Planting Seeds

It’s Sunday! Time to kick back and relax. Cino sure is. 😊

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Since my life is currently consumed with trying to get the new place together I haven’t had a lot of time to write posts. But it’s kind of nice on Sundays Continue reading