Simon's Cat "Santa Claus" cartoon video

Hilarious cartoon video to put you in the mood for the holiday season, but possibly put you off decorating a Christmas tree if you happen to have a kitty in your household! :)

Dr Wayne Dyer - Living in the Present Moment (video)

Thought-provoking short video on how we can create a whole new set of options by living in the present moment.

A thought-provoking song that is truly worth listening to!!

Discusses current world issues...and the solutions...Prince Ea - "Why I Think This World Should End"

Happy Video of the Year! Dogs and a cat that thinks it's dog!

If this animal vid doesn't make you smile, you haven't got a pulse! Watch a posse of happy dogs and one cat who thinks he's dog, partying at the beach! :D

Help Stop Horrendous Abuse to Elephants, Lions and Other Exotic Animals

Please sign and share this petition and help stop this cruel treatment of these poor animals currently destined to endure a lifetime of suffering. In order to "train" wild animals to perform, they are abused, and reactions are attained using negative reinforcement from humans physically striking them using their hands, whips, and bullhooks; often electric shock prods are also used. Animals that are forced to perform during entertainment shows are housed in small, temporary facilities and/or also restricted via chains to minimize mobility. Also, during arduous journeys between performance locations, they're again housed in cramped areas and elephants are also chained. During travel, the creatures are forced to live in their feces and urine.

Please sign and share the petition found at this link.



All of this abuse, living conditions, and overall inhumane treatment of wild animals leads to physical ailments, stress, trauma and often leads to death. There have been several documented cases of circus animals having physical injuries from bullhooks, diseases, lack of veterinary care, and mental stress that is portrayed by the body pacing, rocking, swaying heads; all of this leads to animals "snapping" and posing threat to the public, which leads to animals being gunned down in cities.

Almost 30 countries have taken action to end animal cruelty that stems from traveling circuses and it's time for the U.S. to do so as well. I understand circuses have been a part of our culture, but we shouldn't subject animals to a lifetime of trauma and a grueling death for the sake of entertainment.

Petition and information provided by Valeria Garcia, more details at the petition location here.

The Animal Co-operative Community gives those concerned about Animal Welfare

the opportunity to connect. Excellent site to coordinate rescues, neuter programs, and arrange meet-ups. You don't need to be an organization or group to join. Anyone who cares about animals can join up and it's free. It is really simple to add yourself, and you can find other animal lovers by location. Thank you to Joellen and friend for designing this important site, and thank you to Joellen's small animal welfare group and animal lovers in their community for volunteering their time and effort to provide animal neutering in West Delhi. To check out and join The Animal Co-operative Community just click here.

After Being Subject to 23 Horrendous Years of Research, Scarlett, the Chimp is now safe

Article by Kristina Pepelko - On Nov. 11, 1979, Scarlett was born into a life of research at the Coulston Foundation. Not long after her birth, she was snatched from her mother, Cherry, in order to be raised for testing purposes. At just three years old, Scarlett was moved to another research lab, but returned to Coulston 13 years later to endure the same fate as her mother – a life of a breeding chimp. According to Save the Chimps, she “lived along in a small and barren cage in a building dubbed ‘the Dungeon.’” During her second tenure at the Coulston Foundation, Scarlett had two children named Jude and Joey. However, both babies were taken from her almost immediately, allowing her no time to soothe or care for the children she had spent months preparing for.



Unlike other chimps who suffered in labs until their deaths, Scarlett received the opportunity to be released when the Coulston Foundation closed its doors in 2002. Save the Chimps came right in for the rescue, but found her “depressed and withdrawn” and also learned that she has epilepsy.

Thankfully, with the help of kind veterinarians and unconditional love and care from sanctuary staff, Scarlett has flourished, becoming a “a smart and confident chimpanzee, a grande dame, with a sense of humor,” Save the Chimps veterinarian Jocelyn Bezner tells OGP.

In 2008, Scarlett’s resilience was put to the test yet again when she “became temporarily paralyzed due to an unusual spinal injury … [which] may have been the result of a seizure,” Save the Chimps reports.

Scarlett again managed to pull through this great challenge, inspiring all with “her determination and spirit.”
Since her temporarily paralysis, Scarlett has been enjoying a life of leisure in the Florida sun with other five chimps in her social group. Together, they share in the joys of freedom each and every day.

To help former lab chimps like Scarlett, consider making a donation to Save the Chimps or symbolically adopting one of their residents (even Scarlett herself!).

Lead image source: Save the Chimps

For the complete article and photos, visit One Green Planet . They have a great newsletter which is definitely worth subscribing.

And a VERY BIG Thank You to Save the Chimps for your invaluable work, saving the chimps.

Woman sent to prison for helping to feed the starving!

Syrian woman Yara Faris is being held in 'Adra Prison for allegedly assisting in the distribution of food and aid to displaced people. On 8 December 2013, Yara Faris was detained by Syrian State Security officers. Her case was referred to the Anti-Terrorism Court and she is currently detained in ‘Adra prison. She is accused of "financing acts of terrorism", apparently because she had been helping to provide food and assistance to internally displaced people who had fled the conflict elsewhere in Syria. If she is prosecuted solely for providing humanitarian assistance to displaced civilians, Amnesty International would consider her a prisoner of conscience. Her husband, Maher Tahan, was subjected to enforced disappearance on 20 September 2012 when he returned with a delegation of the National Coalition for Democratic Change from an official visit to China.
Yara should not be imprisoned for providing humanitarian aid. Stand with Amnesty and call on the Syrian authorities to drop these charges.

Please sign this petition to help push for the release of this heroic woman whose only crime is kindness and helping the needy!

Gorgeous video - Husky sings along with baby

Guaranteed to put a smile on your face! :)
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Roseanne is facing a lifetime in prison NOT because she is a criminal

but because she has a disability! Roseanne is 24 years old, locked in a prison indefinitely – yet has not been convicted of any crime. She has foetal alcohol brain damage, and the NT Government is refusing to provide care for her, instead leaving her locked up in prison. (This post and petition by Ian Mckinlay)

I am her legal guardian (Ian Mckinlay). She called me last night distraught, wondering why she is locked in a cold concrete cell, not understanding what she has done wrong, wondering when she will get out.



Roseanne's cycle of abuse and neglect growing up was truly shocking. At 5 years old she was being traded for sex. After years of abuse, as a young woman she committed some minor crimes, was deemed "unfit to plead" because of her disability – and like many other Aboriginal men and women ended up under indefinite prison-based supervision.

Roseanne has now been in prison for 18 months. She hasn't been convicted of a crime.

The NT Government has wiped their hands of her. Despite building a brand new facility to care for people like Roseanne – the NT government is refusing to offer her a secure care placement that would allow her release. But it seems they think it'll save a few dollars keeping her in jail instead of in proper care.

As any parent will understand, it breaks my heart to hear her fragile and distraught voice, knowing there is somewhere better for her to go, and knowing that she continues to suffer because government bureaucracy won’t sign the transfer forms that are needed.

They're leaving Roseanne in prison, neglected, forgotten and ignored. She is desperately sad and wants to return to the NT. She deserves care and kindness, not prison bars and more abuse.

Please help me get this vulnerable girl into the supported care she needs, and leave our prisons for criminals. Please sign and share my petition here.

You can watch ABC Lateline coverage of the issue here.

Koala Colony Endangered by plans for road upgrade.

Please sign this petition and share.
Current plans for the Pacific Highway upgrade in NSW, Australia endangers the survival a critical koala colony in Ballina.

Poor Tania the elephant has spent over 35 years alone and mistreated...

Update; This petition has now closed, but keep in mind the plight of Tania and other animals suffering a similar existence, and be their voice, so they may be saved and live a happier life.

Please sign this petition and share, to help save her from this terrible tormented life. She deserves elephant friendships, kindness, and grass, not cement, beneath her feet. No animal deserves this sort of "life", let alone a social, intelligent elephant.

Tania the elephant has been stuck in solitary confinement in a Romanian zoo called Tirgu Mures for more than 35 years. She is ill, mistreated and desperately lonely. Please sign this petition and share.

What gives us the right to treat any creature with such cruelty and disrespect? (video)

No different from a swan, eagle or hummingbird, these poor birds are treated like something that doesn't feel pain and fear. Just treated like an inanimate object with no ability to suffer. What gives us the right? What does our detached, cruel treatment of any living, feeling creatures say about our lack of kindness, our lack of humanity?

Help Us Stop the Stupidity and Barbarism that is the WA Shark Cull!

More than 80 per cent of Australians oppose the shark cull. So why has Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett began the massacre? Sharks and other marine predators are a vital component of a healthy oceanic environment. Scientists predict that shark culls in Australia and other nations will result in a jellyfish overpopulation catastrophe, and with jellyfish taking over the oceans, it will spell the deaths of all other marine creatures.





Please sign this petition.

Important Anti-Whaling Film in need of URGENT funding!

"Breach - A Story of Cruel and Unnecessary Slaughter" by Jonny Zwick Requires at least $13,000 by Thursday 20th February 2014.

Iceland disobeys international law and slaughters whales for commercial gain, despite an extreme decline in the market for the meat.

Iceland is one of only three countries in the entire world that continues the archaic practice of commercial whale hunting. The government of this 320,000 person island nation defies a global law against whaling implemented by the International Whaling Commision (IWC) in 1986 and sets their own killing quotas each hunting season. The politicians, scientists, and businessmen influencing this decision believe that these migratory mammals are their resources to exploit, and will continue to slaughter them for minuscule profits, despite mankind's awful history of sustaining our whale populations. Let's shine a spotlight on this issue and bring awareness to Iceland's blatant disregard for international law, and more importantly, their negligence to the biodiversity of our planet's oceans.


Click on the above Kickstarter link to read more/make a donation (small donations as well as larger donations gratefully accepted.)

The two species of cetaceans that they hunt, the minke whale and the ENDANGERED fin whale, are sold to two completely separate markets. The smaller of the two, the minke, is sold domestically to the flocks of tourists who visit Iceland each year, while the endangered fin whale is strictly exported to Japan. My film focuses on the spectacular ironies, contradictions and unethical decisions surrounding the attempts made by the whaling industry and the Icelandic government to convince people there is still a market for this meat.


Whaling ships (H) departing same harbor as whale watching boats

Around 800,000 tourists will visit Iceland in 2013. In the latest poll, 20% said they have tried or will try whale meat. These travelers, desperate for a sense of adventure, eat minke whale meat thinking that they are engaging in a cultural tradition. In reality, less than 5% of Icelandic citizens actually consume this majestic marine mammal on a regular basis, and tourists visiting the country, are the ones keeping the minke whaling industry afloat. The minke whalers I spoke with while visiting Iceland are aware of this fact and gear all marketing campaigns towards the misled traveler. They place manipulative ads in english speaking newspapers and post large menus with similar messages in the streets of the capital city, suggesting that the true Icelandic experience isn't achieved until whale meat is tested.

Ironically enough, whale watching has exploded on the island and this year alone, a projected 200,000 individuals will embrace the natural beauty of these animals in Iceland's remarkable subarctic setting. The number of visitors that participate in whale watching has grown steadily since 1995, and the numbers have tripled in the last ten years. In 2002, there were 62,000 visitors while last year there were 175,000 in which the revenues of the whale watch companies amounted to 1.1 billion dollars. Icelanders consist of less than 9% of this years 200,000 attendees, providing clear evidence that these private whale watching companies thrive on tourists and the well-being of the nation's whale populations. In terms of national economic benefit, the whale watching industry stands as an exponentially-growing giant, while the whaling industry represents a floundering minnow. With whale sightings dropping from 98% to 96%, it's time for the government to recognize the severity of killing the whales people are paying to see and acknowledge that the two industries cannot co-exist.

The second of the two species these Icelandic whalers are hunting, the fin whale, is officially listed on the IUCN red endangered species list and is exclusively sold to private companies in Japan. This impressive cetacean is the second largest animal on the planet (Up to 89.5 ft. long) and can live up to 140 years old. This past summer, Iceland set a quota to kill 184 of these massive fin whales, each weighing up to 74 tons, despite the known fact that meat from the 2009/2010 hunting seasons still remain in Icelandic freezer facilities.

Out of pure desperation to rid the meat of these freezers, Hvalur HF, the sole fin whaling company in Iceland, began selling their product to Japanese pet food company, Michinoku Farms. Outrageously enough, this sale resulted in the development of a new luxury dog treat: endangered fin whale jerky. Global outcry forced Michinoku Farms to pull the heinous product from the shelves, but not before providing insight into just how determined Hvalur HF is to keep the industry alive.

The question must be asked, "Why kill what you can't sell?" Hvalur HF CEO and influential business man, Kristjan Loftsson, is the only man who can answer this question.


Endangered fin whale used as a dog treat.

The fishing industry is Iceland's second largest export after tourism, and Mr. Loftsson's position as the chairman of the biggest fishery in Iceland, HB Grandi, grants him undeniable influence on government decisions. Undeterred by international law, the endangered status of the species he's hunting, and the plea from countries around the world for him to stop whaling, Loftsson refers to fin whales as "just another fish in the sea." The man even has the audacity to label his company as "green" by running his vessels on oil from the endangered fin whales he kills.

The bottom line is that whales are facing more problems than ever before. Perpetual increase in global population is having detrimental effects on marine ecology. Pollution, depletion of food sources, loss of habitat, ship strikes, climate change, toxic waste, fishing net entanglement, and noise pollution are just a few, so how can Iceland justify tacking on one more threat to this list?

The above information has been provided by Jonny Zwick www.jonnyzwick.com

Please click on the kickstart widget to read more/ make a donation to this worthwhile film project.