Back! And what’s next…

Due to personal reasons, I have had to take time off from fighting this cause and unfortunately have not been able to campaign on this matter as vigorously as I have hoped. But there is not one day that goes by when I do not think about what is happening and the urgency of the matter.

I am very thankful to all those who have replied, who have written in to request for the reports, and who have sent in your petitions. For those who have emailed me for the reports, I will reply very soon. Please check your SPAM folder as some email providers may treat it as spam.

We are still collecting petitions on the website. It is ongoing. The fight continues!

Announcement #1

Have you signed this petition yet?

KIM BASINGER TO TOP DESIGNER WILLIAM TANG: CRUEL FUR IS OUT OF STYLE

“Actor Kim Basinger has sent a letter on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia to leading Hong Kong designerWilliam Tang urging him to pledge not to use fur — including fur trim — in his collections. Basinger’s letter is accompanied by a PETA DVD that documents the widespread misery suffered by animals used in the fur industry…” Read more.

Announcement #2

Please continue to support Animal Saviors. I have recently been in touch with Peter Steele who is currently busy working on a new website for Animal Saviors, in preparation for the Animal  Saviors Unite Campaign. Here is a brief write-up from him with future plans:

“Whilst the awareness we have created in our first 18 months has exceeded all expectation, the horrific live skinning continues, so as part of the Animal Saviors Unite Campaign” we are going into China.  Our rationale for doing so and how we’ll be addressing the issues in China will be contained on the new Website.

Essentially, there are 4 areas in which we will be seeking help:
1.            Awareness.
2.            Investigation.
3.            Financial.
4.            Sending some email letters (pro forma letters supplied) the Campaign…”

We hope to hear more from him very soon!

Announcement #3

What is next? The next two months will be completely dedicated to sorting out the petitions we have received so far and to continue to write letters/raise awareness. We will continue to keep everyone updated with ongoing campaigns by like-minded organisations and post information on petitions related to the anti-fur campaign. In addition, we will also work toward developing a systematic and sustainable plan for next year’s campaign. Let’s make 2010 a fur-free year!

Cold hands, Warm hearts

Announcement #1

ONCE AGAIN – A big thank you to everyone who has supported us by chipping in however you can. So far, we have received quite a handful of signed petitions sent to us via post which is absolutely fantastic. One anonymous individual has even photocopied the flyer and collected signatures on our behalf. Thank you very much! A total of 2000 leaflets have been distributed in various parts of Brisbane so far and about 800 leaflets distributed in Sydney last week. We will continue to distribute the flyers till the end of the month in parts of Brisbane and Gold Coast. Please continue to support us by sending this link to all your friends and family.

A personal note

I have just returned from a 5-day trip to Sydney. It’s, as predicted, much colder than Brisbane. There were many fur hoodies on sale and many consumers buying them. The sight of so many consumers (still in the dark) wearing fur-trimmed hoodies had really motivated me to step up and do more.

Big thank you to Rhiannon and Sarena for posting the link on their facebook accounts and for telling friends and family about this. In particular, I am extremely grateful to Rhiannon, Jun, Justina and Andrew for helping me pass on the leaflets. Thanks guys!

Announcement #2

Grants & Prizes -

The Voiceless Grants Program offers financial support to non-profit organisations, councils and universities for the design and implementation of projects which improve the lives of animals in Australia. The 2009 Grants Program will run from 1st – 31st July during which time an online application form will be available for submission.  This year, grants will be awarded in varying amounts of up to $15,000 per project. To find out more, click here.

Reflection #1

Mom’s here to visit and has been roped in to help out with flyer distribution. She is currently spending the week in Melbourne but will return to Brisbane shortly. So far, family has been extremely supportive and patient; I am very thankful and blessed and will channel all this positive energy to furthering this cause so that one day, we can eventually live in a fur-free society. Although Mom’s been supportive, she had found it very difficult to comprehend that the fluffy furry trims lining the edge of hooded jackets could actually belong to a pooch. We have examined the jackets (and it’s not hard because they are everywhere!) and it is without a doubt that most of the trims are too real to be ‘fake’. In fact, as we were peering into the cages inside a pet shop a week ago, we couldn’t help but notice that the soft brown and white fur ball (some Maltese Cross Poodle of some sort) looked SO familiar – we’ve seen them on the jackets. There is no doubt at all. I say, that’s evidence right there.

Rain or Shine

Action #1

The leaflets I ordered have arrived! All 10,000 of them. It was freezing on Thursday at UQ. Possibly one of the coldest days in Brisbane ever. I was trembling and my fingers were completely numbed; yet I felt really fired up when I saw everyone reading the leaflet I was giving out. Not a single person I gave to threw the leaflet away (a good friend warned me that it might happen and I shouldn’t feel too upset if it did). I saw people wearing fur hoodies everywhere and it has really created this sense of urgency for me to really try to get the message across. Every one person I talk to will be one less person buying fur products – I tell myself.

- Thursday – UQ St Lucia Campus: 250 flyers
- Saturday – Indooroopilly and Milton residential (mail box distribution): 800 flyers
-  Monday – City: 500 flyers

Big thank you to the following people for helping me pass some on to friends, colleagues and schools: Jill, Russell, May, Robyn, Sarah, Julie, you guys are gems!

Please email stopliveskinning@gmail.com if you wish to help.

Action #2

Peter Steele’s Asian Campaign. Peter (Animal Saviors) will be backbacking (with anyone who wants to accompany him for the whole or any part of the campaign) through India, Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and through the centre of China ending at Tienanmen Square in Beijing to raise awareness, enlist support from politicians and religious leaders and to present the petitions to the Chinese Minister of Commerce. Peter, a retired lawyer from the Gold Coast, has spent not just time, effort and money to try his best to save the animals, he has shown passion and conviction with his actions. I was very honoured to be able to meet up with him two weeks ago. In the upcoming weeks, we will have more information on this campaign, so stay tune.

Announcement #3

Our online petition has a total of 551 signatures – thank you for making a stand everyone! Please continue to spread the news to your friends and family. More people needs to know the real cost behind the fur jacket (fake or otherwise) that they are buying. Due to unpredictable weather conditions, our Brisbane campaign – collection of signatures around Brisbane – will now be collected from (1) the petition site, and from (2) leaflets. A total of 10,000 leaflets will be distributed between now and mid-July in Brisbane, parts of Gold Coast and Sydney (city). Readers have the option of sending in the signed leaflet to PO Box 895, Indooroopilly QLD 4068. Signature collections will continue after August but only via Internet. The next phase of the campaign involves writing letters of appeal to Chinese authorities and embassies (in both English and Chinese) to ban the skinning of cats and dogs on grounds of inhumanity.

Announcement #4

Good news. I’ve compiled a pdf report, Global Alert, documenting reports, evidence and campaign on this issue. There is irrefutable evidence that cats and dogs are skinned in inhumane ways for their fur because of the fur and fur-trim industries. The chapters covered are listed below:

Chapter 1: Fur Industry – From Real (then) to ‘Fake’ (now)
1.1 Exposing Real fur
1.2 Exposing ‘Fake’ fur
Chapter 2: The truth about cats and dogs
2.1 Cat and dog fur IS faux fur
2.2 Legislation to protect domestic cats and dogs
Chapter 3: The farming/skinning process (if you don’t already know)
3.1 It is cruel, inhumane and unnecessary
Chapter 4: The value of fur – WHO decides?
4.1 Market-driven industry
Chapter 5: Solutions, an assessment of what has been done and what more can be done
5.1 Campaigns and successes

If you would like a copy of the pdf report (free), please email stopliveskinning@gmail.com. If you only have enough time to read one article, then read this: Dying for fur, A report on the fur industry in China, update 25 Jan 2007 , Copyright East International/Swiss Animal Protection SAP