In this week's edition:

• Shrine Circus Protest Big Success!
• Peter Young Review
• World Week for Animals in Labs…Help End Painful Product Testing on Animals
• Animals in the News...New Species of Frog Discovered
• And our weekly news briefs...

The Shrine Circus protest and leafletings that were held the weekend of April 4th-6th while the Shrine Circus was in town were a great success.  Over 20 people came out for the Saturday night show demonstration and over the course of the weekend we handed out over 2,000 leaflets to circus goers, with leafleters present at every show.  We even got some media coverage as KDKA came out and the protest was aired on the 11:00 news that night.  The news piece was positive overall and quoted from our press release that we wanted animal circuses to end “in favor of humane, animal-free circuses like Cirque Du Soleil and Pittsburgh’s own Zany Umbrella Circus”.  We feel pretty confident that we were able to get the message out to many Shrine Circus patrons as well as members of the public that animals imprisoned in circuses endure great physical and psychological suffering and that for a few minutes of entertainment, no animal should have to pay with a lifetime of misery.  It’s significant to note that there was one less show this year than usual, perhaps indicating a drop in ticket sales.  Let’s hope the day will come soon where the only circuses that play in Pittsburgh are ones that are completely animal-free.  We want to give a big thank you to everyone who came out to protest with us and/or volunteered to pass out leaflets at the other shows.  Your help was crucial and made this a success.

On Monday, March 31st, The Pitt Lawyer's Guild along with Voices for Animals had the opportunity to sponsor a talk from Peter Young- former animal liberation prisoner and activist- at the University of Pittsburgh. Young spoke of his experiences with the animals he had come in contact with on various farms, his struggles with staying vegan in prison, the green scare, and everything in between. The talk was educational as well as inspiring. Young was able to describe some of the most horrific areas of food and fur farming alongside wonderful stories of liberation. "Never stop being haunted" by these things, is one expression that stood out uniquely in his talk as he spoke of the massive cruelty to animals he experienced. It is an important lesson for all of us to remember. We must never turn our heads to the suffering of others. Even though some things may be out of sight, we do not need to keep them out of mind.

We also had a showing of "Behind the Mask" following the talk which many attendees stayed for. The event was a success and we hope it was a learning experience for everyone. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it out to this event and to the Pitt Lawyer's guild for sponsoring the event with us. Last but definitely not least, we want to thank Peter for sharing his experience and knowledge with us. We wish him all the best in his future.

WWAIL is coming up and in remembrance of the animals who have died in labs as well as those who still suffer there, Voices for Animals would like to offer information about how everyone can do their part to end animal testing. Approximately 23 million animals are reported as being used in research each year and it is suspected that even more are unreported.  One of the largest ways in which animals needlessly suffer and die for research is for product testing.  Companies like Proctor & Gamble (http://www.pg.com/common/product_sitemap.jhtml) and Unilever (http://www.unilever.com/ourbrands/) among many others continue to test household products and cosmetics on animals despite the fact that there are literally NO laws that require them to do so.  On top of this, plenty of products exist that are already known to be safe and effective.  Animal testing has no purpose except for the company to be able to say they have done tests and avoid a lawsuit.  The truth is however, these products will often be tested on humans anyway, due to the inaccuracies of animal to human extrapolation.

Product testing on animals is not only unnecessary, but also completely cruel.  Two of the most horrible tests are the LD-50 test and the Draize test.  In the LD-50 test, animals- usually rats-are force-fed dose after dose of products until a level is found where 50% of the animals die.  Lethal Dose for 50% is what the name stands for and has been outlawed in certain countries but remains legal in America.  The Draize test is used to determine the effects of products on the eyes.  Rabbits are taken and put into a restraining holder that keeps them from being able to rub their eyes or move their heads.  Their eyes are then held open and the product is painted inside them.  The animals are left there, often for days, and the damage to the eyes is then compared to a chart of eye damage for these animals. These tests, as well as many others, torture and kill animals needlessly, all for the sake of things like mascaras or fabric softeners.  Also, most of us already know that it hurts to get soap in our eyes and we surely would not pry our eyes open and leave the soap in there for days nor would we force-feed ourselves or our children laundry detergent until they died.

On top of all of this, there are alternatives to animal testing that are not only less cruel, but are more accurate and less expensive. These include methods like cell microchips and other methods of using human cells to test products. The results make much more sense since they utilize actual human cells and are therefore the only way to truly label any product safe for humans.  Secondly, animal testing is extremely costly, so even the companies and their employees, if they choose to open their eyes and their minds, will benefit from such an alternative.

Finally, on to what we all can do.  First off, it is important to know where what you buy comes from. You as the customer have every right to know.  If you are unsure about a company, you can always contact them and ask if they do animal testing for their products.  They have to tell you, but be wary of the language.  Some will say that the finished product is not tested on animals, which often means that the ingredients were in fact still animal tested.  Demand details about the practices.  There are also resources available that list many (but not all) companies that do and don't test on animals.

For lists of companies that DO and DO NOT test on animals:
http://caringconsumer.com/resources_companies.asp

Remember, many larger corporations, such as Procter and Gamble, have products under several brand names.  It is important that we boycott all companies that do animal tests.  It may take some extra effort at first.  But, once you find out what companies you can buy from, it becomes quite simple.  Even places like Whole Foods have begun selling generic, affordable household products that are not animal tested and do not contain animal ingredients.

You can also write to companies that test on animals and demand that they no longer perform animal tests and inform them that you will boycott them until they stop.  Many companies that once performed product tests on animals have stopped due to public outcry.  Your voice does make a difference.

Most importantly, we must all remember that, if we buy from a company, we choose to fund what they do.  We have a choice.  By choosing to buy from companies that do animal tests, we pay to have animals suffer, whether we like it or not.  However, by choosing to only support companies that do not do animal testing, we not only spend our money wisely, but we send a message that animal testing is unacceptable.  For more information on avoiding animal tested products as well as other places that test on animals, please see: http://caringconsumer.com/

Unique Species of Frog Found in Borneo

In a story that has appeared all over the news recently, a strange species of amphibian has been discovered.  The species is a frog with one very different trait from his relatives:  he has no lungs.  The animals can apparently breathe through their skin without the need for these organs.  They have "evolved backwards, re-acquiring a primordial trait."  However, as interesting as this discovery is, the story is not so bright. These animals have become endangered due to illegal gold mining activity. The evolutionary significance of these animals alone is enough to require their conservation as well as the important role they play in the ecosystem surrounding them. "(The researchers) strongly encourage conservation of remaining habitats of this species." This story is yet another reminder that we must be conscious of our decisions as each thing we purchase can affect the world around us.
Read the entire article here: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=lungless-frog-discovered

VFA will be tabling at the Elements 2: Dances of Earth, Air, Fire and Water student bellydance show next Friday, April 25th, from 7:30 PM-9:00 PM.  The show is at Verve Wellness on 142 Sixth Street downtown.  Admission price is a $10 donation and includes vegan food.  All the proceeds raised for this event will be going towards funding a trip to send a group of volunteers to help spay and netuer dogs in the Dominican Republic.

The next vegan potluck at Joseph Beth's Bookstore is happening Sunday, May 18th, at 2:00 PM.  The featured cookbook this time is Vegan Fusion World Cuisine by Mark Reinfeld and Bo Rinaldi.  This cookbook includes tasty recipes like Whole Enchilada Casserole, Amazing Grace Apricot Corn Bread Stuffing, and Cosmic Curl Girl's Carrot Cake.  If you'd like to participate, please contact Anna Sophia Wolak to reserve your space and pick a recipe: (412) 381-3600, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it