-The faces of The Facebook mounted a campaign to save a ‘Gay Dog‘ from being put down by a Tennessee kill shelter. Gawker covered the story and the dog was rescued! Yay!

-Want to know your state’s animal-related laws and their penalties? The ASPCA has made it easy!

-The European Union is set to ban animal testing for cosmetics forever!

-Will 2013 be the year of ag-gag bills? Our old compatriot Susie Cagle thinks so.

-Arizona lawmaker seeks ban on awarding live animals as carnival prizes. And he’s a Republican!

-”Going Vegan in the NFL” has zero mention of ethics. Do any of these guys care about the leather they’re fumbling?

-Gross. Professional athletes are spraying deer antler velvet into their mouths to stimulate muscle growth. Ew, also.

-Dust off those passports and book your tickets: the biggest vegan festival in the world is coming to London this October! 

-Or, if you’re not up for international travels, here’s the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival lineup for 2013, and there’s more to come! How soon is March again?

Crafts for sale at the Royal Caribbean International private beach. Photo by flickr user lotopspin.

It’s easy to argue that bloodsports are no worse for animals than eating meat is, but they’re a hell of a lot more brazen.

NPR’s got a big story about how money for helping Haiti’s animals in the post-quake charity outbreak.

I’d bite too if this guy were dragging me out of bed.

• Think your organic fruits and veggies are antibiotic-free? Think again. Yet another reason to start that victory garden.
• Wanna donate a kidney? You can choose to give one to another animal advocate, like Hillary Rettig did. Apparently you can also have one taken out through your hooha.
• Now that I’ve whetted your appetite: Luna bars and Uncle Eddies cookies were recalled because of the salmonella outbreak.
• Obama’s not thrilled about the pb&j situation. So while he’s made some questionable choices, maybe the appointment of Cass Sunstein as regulatory czar is cause for hope.
• One of the owners of Stogo isn’t vegan. Do you care? I don’t. As long as he respects us, unlike some other restaurateurs.
• Was anyone else a little bit happy to hear that groundhog Chuck bit the mayor? And not surprised that he’s now going to be “retired”? Maybe he was pissed about the new Pedigree commercials using all those wild animals. Especially the one where the guy throws a Frisbee in the bull’s face.
• Speaking of commercials, by now everyone’s seen the PETA ad that was too racy for the Super Bowl. (Not that I watched; there were better things on TV.) I guess sex and football don’t go together. But in the name of synergy, I’m glad someone finally removed the ad for BACON SALT from this article about how well Ellen DeGeneres is doing since she went vegan.

The cover star is Sweet Jasmine, a pitbull rescued from Michael Vick’s property.

I don’t normally read Sports Illustrated but had to pick up the December 29, 2008 issue as the cover story was about the pitbulls rescued from Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels.

I’ve been debating the issue of Michael Vick’s case with a sportswriter whose book I represent. His argument is that Vick was the victim of the inherent racism in the media. I countered that there are certainly victims in Vick’s case, but According to another sportswriter, Robert Lipsyte, “Somewhere between Jackie Robinson and Michael Vick, things got all fouled up. ‘Street cred’ became the anthem of the modern black athlete, this misguided notion that the only way to appeal to the young demographic of the sneaker-buying public was to adopt the negative attitudes of the thug life popularized by black hip-hop/gangster rappers. Vick…got hijacked, and we all let it happen. We let it happen by passively condoning this mess.”

As quoted in SI article, Donna Reynolds, the executive director of BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls) said, “Vick showed the worst of us, our bloodlust, but this rescue showed the best. I don’t think any of us thought it was possible to save these dogs—the government, the rescuers, the regular people—but we surprised ourselves.”

The article raises a difficult question about whether pit bulls trained for fighting can, and should, be rehabilitated; SI‘s writer, Jim Gorant poses the question “Was it worth the time and effort to save these 47 dogs when millions languish in shelters?”

According to PETA spokesman Dan Shannon, “The cruelty they’ve suffered is such that they can’t lead what anyone who loves dogs would consider a normal life. We feel it’s better that they have their suffering ended once and for all.” The SI article notes that The Humane Society of the U.S. also took the position that Vick’s pit bulls, like all dogs saved from fight rings, were beyond rehabilitation and that trying to save them was a misappropriation of time and money.

Considering how many animals out there on the streets and in shelters are in need of good homes, it isn’t too hard to understand the position these groups take. But in reading about Sweet Jasmine, Zippy, Jonny Justice, Leo, Lucas and Sweet Pea, I couldn’t help feeling that these dogs deserved a chance at a better life than what Vick and his accomplices had planned for them as fighters tearing each other up in the ring or being used as bait for training.

Care to discuss your thoughts?

• On Sunday, June 29, at noon, cookbook author Hannah Kaminsky will be at the Herbivore store in the vegan mini mall in Portland. Buy a copy of My Sweet Vegan (I highly recommend it!), meet the fantastically talented sweets guru, have her autograph your tome, and enjoy some of her treats!
• I eat a lot of cashews, but if researchers in Japan have their way, there’ll be less in the supermarket for me and more on feedlots, since the nuts appear to cut greenhouse emissions made by cattle. Not to be outdone, New Zealand scientists are looking for a vaccine.
• ESPN finally gives props to veg*n athletes.
• Boston offenders can now get vegan meals in the clink.

Join vegan cartoonist Dan Piraro and his amazing activist wife Ashley Lou Smith for soy dogs in Shea Stadium on Saturday, May 31st at 3:55pm.

The gathering is organized by the veggie dog enthusiasts at Soy Happy, a consumer advocacy service that promotes and facilitates veg options on mainstream menus. Soy Happy has opened the door to veggie dogs in many major league baseball stadiums.

To score $20 game tickets, info@soyhappy.org with the subject “SHEA TIX.”

Have dog, will travel.

May is Bike Month in New York City and while there are dozens of ways to participate in the celebration, the event I am most excited about is The First Annual Doggie Pedal Parade (Saturday, May 17th, 2pm). The event, which is organized by the environmental group Time’s Up!, seeks to combine two things the group loves– bikes and dogs–in an effort to raise awareness about green transportation with animal companions, as well as the benefits of adopting an animal from a shelter.

Bike riding people and their dogs will meet in Union Square Park and ride through the East Village and Greenwich Village, making stops at dog-friendly spots like Animal Haven Adoption Center, Social Tees, and the dog runs at both Tompkins and Washington Square Parks along the way.

This event has something for everyone. Don’t have a dog? You can take an adoptable dog on the ride or be part of the “Pooch Patrol” to ensure the safety of the ride. Don’t ride a bike? Bring yourself and your canine along to be cheerleaders!

The related Pup Your Ride workshop on Sunday May 11th from 2-6pm is also not to be missed. There, mechanics will help cyclists transform their rides into pooch coaches. (Bring a dog-sized basket!) Crafty folks are also encouraged to drop in and help decorate parade floats. (Time’s Up, 73 Morton Street, between Hudson and Greenwich Streets, Manhattan.)

Beijing rescuer Hu Yua keeps 250 cats in her apartment. “If I don’t take them in, the government will kill them.”

Reader Hannah sent us this in-depth article about the house cat holocaust going on China in preparation of the Beijing Olympics. The article and accompanying images are very disturbing, though there are some heartwarming tales of individual rescuers. Unlike Athens’s genocide against dogs before the 2004 Olympics, this horrible initiative isn’t even limited to strays. The government seems to be running a successful propaganda campaign claiming that cats are inherently dangerous and cause all sorts of diseases; many people are turning in their own pets “for safety’s sake.”

In slightly better news, the Indian state of Kashmir has canceled plans to poison thousands of stray dogs (the numbers vary widely from 2,000 to 100,000) in an attempt to stop rabies. After killing the first 500, authorities have decided to try sterilization instead.

More locally, have you read about the rescues of Phyllis the Bed Stuy Chicken or Denny the Bronx goat? Both happy endings for individuals, but reminders that there are still plenty of active slaughterhouses in New York City.

Tony Gonzalez may not actually be vegan, but some of you probably care about the NFL anyway. I don’t, but I do like junk food. Wow, what a terrible introduction to Foodswings‘s awesome Super Bowl party menu! Get your order in by January 31st.

• Drumstick Trays: Buffalo, Southern Fried or BBQ (21 in a tray). $30
• 3 Ft Italian Hero: (All heros require a refundable $5 board deposit) – Salami, Ham, Pepperoni, Roasted Red Peppers, Black Olives, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil, and Vinegar. $45
• No Chicken Cutlet: Breaded and Fried Mock Chicken Cutlets w/Tomato and Romaine Lettuce. $40
• No Chicken Caesar: Grilled Mock Chicken Cutlets w/ Romaine Lettuce, Black Olives, and Foodswings Caesar Dressing. $45
• Dips: Nacho Cheese, French Onion, Hummus, White Bean Cilantro. $3.50-$5
• Vegan Blitz: 1 Tray of Drumsticks, 1 3-ft hero & 1 Dip. $65

Gonzalez is247lbs and vegan. Who you callin’ a bitch?

I haven’t been following the whole Skinny Bitch craze. I somehow had this idea that it was targeted towards folks who cry over Bridget Jone’s Diary while eating boxes of bon-bons or go out with the girls to get mani-pedis. But, I just read Grist’s recent interview with Skinny Bitch author Rory Freedman and I’m intrigued by and grateful for her work in getting the chick lit crowd excited about animal rights. You go, girl!

It other news, the WSJ.com flips the script and introduces us to some Buff Bastards– hunky male athletes who made the switch to a vegan diet.

I have new respect for hippies.

At least once a week, PETA cranks out pictures of their protesters wrapped in clingwrap, parading naked, locked in cages, dressed as animals, and various combinations thereof. I’ve become pretty inured to this stuff, but I’m sure it does its job of drawing attention from the general public. Now they’ve bumped it to the next level and it’s pretty impressive.

In San Diego yesterday, a bunch of PETAneers demonstrated the savagery of line-fishing by sticking massive hooks through their flesh and dangling from a scaffold. I’m not sure any of them actually got hoisted by hook, and they still weren’t able to resist the bodypaint and faux fish scales, but still. Yuck, ouch, wow, etc.

Scott Cary leads the team to victory.

You remember the vegan firemen, right? Well, Sergeant Scott Cary, head of the Austin Police Department Running Team, as well as their official “peer-to-peer counselor coordinator” and “wellness sergeant” (it’s a hippie town, huh?), is a vegan, too.

Cary is profiled in the “Fit City” section of the Austin American Statesman this week. He originally gave up meat for health reasons, and the article focuses on him turning his own health around and helping fellow cops do the same. As he says, “the days of coffee and doughnuts are over. [Now] it’s a latte with soy milk and a bagel.”

I spotted this ad on a bus shelter the other day. The text reads “A Vegan Did Not Choose Green.” More background here or here.

• Mumbai has banned elephants, citing cruelty and unhealthy conditions. Now if only we could do something similar for the horses in New York…
• Jason at Taste Better recently posted the final part of his interview with Ryan Wilson from Vegan Essentials. It’s pretty long and reasonably dry, but if you care about vegan business, well worth a read: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
• David Beckham apparently now wears synthetic soccer cleats, in deference to his wife‘s support of animal rights. Thanks, Posh!

Laugh at Colin Beavan on the Colbert Report.
• Revel in your righteousness: The Wall Street Journal investigates how you can reduce your carbon footprint. “The most-difficult at-the-grocery store tactic is to go vegan, which could save 3,000 pounds of CO2 a year, or about 8% of the average American’s annual production of 40,000 pounds.”
• Or enjoy global warming in action and ride your bike or go for a stroll, and maybe go shopping for some new eco-friendly spring fashion.

A cockfighting gaff.

On Tuesday night the Senate unanimously passed the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, which makes it a felony to transport an animal across state or nation borders for animal fighting; it also prohibits inter-state and national commerce in weapons used for cockfighting. The House passed the same bill a few weeks ago, and it’s expected that Bush will sign it into law.

In related news, Louisiana, last outpost of cockfighting, is kind of maybe sort of thinking of banning the grisly “sport” as well. Governor Kathleen Blanco and others on Capitol Hill want cockfighting banned, though some politicians just want to co-opt the matches and tax them, to create a financial (blood-soaked) “life jacket” to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently published an interview with Atlanta Hawks guard Salim Stoudamire, all about his veganism.

In the macho world of pro-basketball this seems like a pretty big deal, and it’s a brave move on his part: “I finally reached a point where I just didn’t care what other people thought, and I didn’t have a problem with eating alone.” While Stoudamire doesn’t “think you should eat something that had a mother,” he seems glad that the NBA returned to using a leather ball. Hopefully Salim will extend his respect for “things” that had mothers beyond food!

A NH Greyhound in his Kennel

Last week, New Hampshire’s House voted, 198-138, against a bill that would have shut down live racing at its three greyhound race tracks. Rep. Fran Wendelboe, a supporter of the ban, said, “A dog is man’s best friend, and I don’t think we should be making profit off their sacrifice and their hard life when we don’t have to.”

Then there’s the abuse documented by Grey2k USA and its Vote for the Dogs project, which includes a steathily-filmed slideshow of dogs at the NH tracks, stories of the 700+ dogs seriously injured in two years, and documentation of abuse of dogs by track employees. Nevertheless, legislators failed to see the urgent nature of this issue, claiming they didn’t want to shut down the tracks because that would be bad for the dogs (by creating a glut) and the employees of the tracks. As the proud mom of two retired racers, I wrote to Rep. Anne-Marie Irwin (D!), who has a dog and voted against the ban, and suggested she broaden her circle of compassion to dogs other than her own. Check out her response.

Last time I was in Toronto, I bought a veggie dog or ten from a regular ol’ street vendor for a toonie. Call me simple, but it brought me enormous joy to purchase street unmeats, right there on the sidewalk. Well Angelenos, follow my step-by-step guide and, you too, can buy your very own Not Dog:

1. Buy a ticket to a Dodger game.
2. Pay ($15-35) to park your car at Dodger Stadium.
3. Traverse the appx. 30 minute obstacle course to actually park your car.
4. Find your way to the concession stand at Level 7, Section 3-5.
5. If attendance is low, and the Level 7, Section 3-5 stand is closed, don’t give up. Put some hustle in it and go over to Reserved Aisle 24. They should have them.
6. Pay $6 for a Lightlife Smart Jumbo Dog on a Bimbo Bakery bun.
7. Consume in three bites.
8. Repeat steps 6, 7.
9. Get back in your car.
10. Make your way out of the parking lot–this may take upwards of an hour.
11. Stop at Ralphs and buy a package of Lightlife Smart Jumbo Dogs for $3.
12. If it’s Thursday, head to Vegan Pot-Luck Happy Hour at The Short Stop and tip Julie one of your pups and a toonie.

The effort to ban cockfighting in New Mexico has ended, and the gamecocks (roosters) have emerged victorious. As of June 15, New Mexico will join 48 other states in banning the bloodsport, where two roosters fitted with razor-sharp steel blades are placed in a pit and hack each other for several minutes to over a half hour, to the death of one or both. People bet on the outcome of the fights, and apparently think they’re entertaining.

Naturally, those who run cockfighting (the New Mexico Game Fowl Association) are upset. Ronald Barron, the president of the Association, noted that the ban is “damn near ruining [his] life.” He rather creepily added, “This isn’t a business. It’s my pleasure. It’s my right, or rather it was my right.”

Kudos to New Mexico for taking away people’s rights! All eyes are now on Louisiana, to see if that last bastion of cockfighting will hold up.

Next Saturday, Lourdes Canas-Jovel and Anthony Acock will host the first-ever vegan cupcake eating contest in New Haven, CT to celebrate the release of their cookbook, Little Vegan Monsters. Competitive eaters will have to devour as many delicious frosted cupcakes as possible in 5 minutes. (Sure, gorging on sweets sounds like fun now, but wait until your hair is in the toilet.) Folks undeterred by the pukey pitfalls of competitive eating are encouraged to sign up by Tuesday, March 20. There are now two spots left.

If you prefer to pace yourself as you enjoy vegan goodies, come anyway to cheer on the gluttons and slowly savor a cupcake or ten.

The details: Saturday, March 24 at Noon. Fuel Coffee Shop, 516 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT. Free, but donations to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary are encouraged. More info: Visit littleveganmonsters.com, email Lourdes, or call (203)745-5806.

Tim, Mia, Meg (left to right)

The Appalachian Trail runs 2,174-miles from Maine to Georgia. Hippies People who hike the whole distance are known as “Thru-Hikers.”

Maryland natives Meg, Tim, and their canine companion Mia have dubbed themselves the Vegan Thru Hikers and they’re keeping a blog of their trip. Things are still in the preperatory stages for now; the trio hit the trail on March first.

Their hike is also a fundraiser for Release and Restitution who fight for, well, release and restitution for laboratory chimps.

We wish them well, and hope they have a great trip and raise lotsa dough for the chimps!

I don’t know who this is, but if you do an image search for basketball doofus, he shows up.

Three months into the season, the NBA is dropping their new microfiber basketballs and returning to the old leather model.

Sounds like it’s essentially a result of pro ballers being nostalgic spoiled brats. As justified by commissioner David Stern:

Although testing performed by Spalding and the NBA demonstrated that the new composite basketball was more consistent than leather, and statistically there has been an improvement in shooting, scoring and ball-related turnovers, the most important statistic is the view of our players.

Awww.

Got two left feet? Can’t catch a beat with a net? Seize life! Take a pledge to no longer hide in the corner at parties. Assemble a group of your bestest friends and overcome your fears at the Dancing for Animals Friday night dance lesson and social.

Starting tonight, animal advocate and dance teacher Liz Peterson will host weekly classes in a variety of forms including Samba, Mambo, Hustle, Foxtrot, and West Coast Swing. Classes are only $5 and the social that follows costs $15. All proceeds go towards animal charities.

Every Friday at Dance Times Square. 156 West 44th Street (between 6th Avenue and Broadway), 3rd Floor. Info and Schedule: DancingForAnimals.org or (212)946-1824.