WHO IS ESTHER…..THE PIG?

My husband introduced me to Esther the Wonder Pig about a year ago.  I was instantly hooked and captivated by her story….here is the rundown from Esther the Wonder Pig’s website:

Esther is some pig. She was misrepresented as a “micro pig” and sold to Steve and Derek in the summer of 2012.  She was just 4 pounds, and in under 2 years she grew to be 500 pounds! Derek and Steve kept Esther anyway.  She was accustomed to home life, and so the whole family went on an adventure of a lifetime.

We have followed Ester’s story as well as Steve and Derek’s (and the rest of the family) on Facebook.  We learned about their ambitions and future plans to open a sanctuary (which we can’t wait to go visit).

Steve and Derek’s story is one of commitment, dedication, perseverance and love.  Why would anyone in their right mind end up keeping a pig that weighed over 500lbs after thinking they were receiving a micro pig?  Well – people who are special, people who have a conscience and people who are defenders of animals.

Esther is not just a pig – she really is the Wonder Pig!

Here are some facts about pigs:

• Pigs snuggle close to one another and prefer to sleep nose to nose.
• They dream, as humans do.
• In their natural surroundings, pigs spend hours playing, sunbathing and exploring.
• People who run sanctuaries report that pigs enjoy listening to music, playing with soccer balls, and getting massages.
• Pigs communicate constantly with one another, more than 20 vocalizations have been identified that pigs use in different situations, from wooing mates to saying “I’m hungry!”
• Newborn piglets learn to run to their mothers’ voices and to recognize their own names.
• Mother pigs sing to their young while nursing.
• According to Professor Donald Broom of the Cambridge University Veterinary School, “[Pigs] have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated.  Even more so than dogs and certainly [more so than human] 3-year olds.
• Pigs appear to have a good sense of direction and have found their way home over great distances.
• Adult pigs can run at speeds of up to 11 miles an hour.
• Pigs do not “eat like pigs” or “pig out”.  They prefer to eat slowly and savour their food.
• Pigs are clean animals.  If given sufficient space, they will be careful not to soil the area where they sleep or eat.
• Pigs don’t “sweat like pigs”, they are actually unable to sweat.
• They like to bathe in water or mud to keep cool.

***Thanks to PETA contributor – Heather Moore, for the above points.  This information and more about pigs and any other animal is available on:  http://www.peta.org/blog/top-ten-fascinating-facts-pigs/

My husband and I are advocates for animals – we consider ourselves vegetarian, almost vegan.  We do our best to be conscious of what we buy, wear and who we support.  We are thrilled about Esther’s future and hope that all the great things Steve and Derek have completed and have yet to complete come to fruition.  Here are some great photos of Esther and her family:

All the best to you and your family…

For more information about Esther, please follow here on Facebook or check out her website:

https://www.facebook.com/estherthewonderpig

http://www.estherthewonderpig.com

This is the perfect example that by working together, positive outcomes can happen.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

SOCIAL MEDIA – A MEANS FOR DISTRACTION or A TOOL TO SPARK CHANGE?

I am amazed at how so many people are afraid to face the realities of what is happening around them and how they don’t want to get involved in issues that inflict injustice on other people, animals and the environment.  I scan the Facebook pages of friends and acquaintances and am awestruck at the meaningless posts they want others to read.  Here are some examples (without mentioning names, of course):

• a friend liked a page dedicated to ‘hot guys in sweat pants’
• someone posted a link to pictures of ‘people of Wal-Mart’ obviously to ridicule their look and weirdness
• people bragging about how great their lives are (without being humble)
• people bragging at how great their make-up or haircuts look

I know…..why is it so wrong for people to post these things – they are only sharing these things for laughs or because they are proud.  Maybe it’s me – but I don’t enjoy poking fun at people anymore or telling everyone on Facebook that I love porn.  Maybe I am making too much of an assumption – I have posted pictures of concerts I have attended and of authors I have met.  Why do I feel that the posts most other people make are not as authentic?  Why should I care?  I don’t know what contributions these people make to social, political or environmental causes.  Here’s why I care…..

I know some of these people and I know their personalities and their habits…..when someone tells me they don’t recycle because their landlord doesn’t supply them with the resources to recycle, why should they bother?  They would rather surf the net for pictures of hot guys or follow the lives of porn stars than engage in a conversation with their landlord about setting up a recycling station in their building.  That’s the reality.

I have also engaged in pretty heated debates on Facebook because of what someone may have posted.  I stand behind everything I post – because I believe whatever I post 100%  I try not to judge the lifestyle’s of others but will stand up for what I believe in.  Many people have commented on many of my Facebook posts telling me “why do you post those, they are too violent”, “I don’t want to see that”, “Facebook isn’t for activism”.  I guess Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites are only for ‘hooking up’, porn, making fun/judging others or to post meaningless crap that continues to distract people from the realities and injustices BIG corporations, BIG oil and our governments are creating to ensure we don’t ‘remove our blinders’.

I may not be able to go to the Arctic to make a point that Shell/Exxon/BP or any other oil company should not be drilling there – but I can certainly post and blog about it to get the message out.  I may not be able to afford an electric vehicle right now but if I keep spreading the word to pressure our governments and the automobile industries, maybe I will one day.  I may not be blocking transport trucks from delivery animals to slaughter houses but I can surely share the horrors these animals go through and possibly making someone think twice before they purchase factor farmed animals.

I know and understand our need to be desensitized to social, political and environmental issues – life is difficult, but if we continue to leave our blinders on, imagine what the world would look like tomorrow?  Think about it for just one moment – if people didn’t advocate for the environment and sustainable energy, what would our environment look like today?  If people didn’t advocate for equality or human rights, what would our world look like today?  Imagine if we didn’t have PETA or individuals who actually care about the pain and suffering animals go through, what would our world look like today?

Social media is a powerful tool – with it, we can send messages across the globe instantaneously and start revolutions, we can ignite the spark and let the flames of positive change engulf the planet.  Are you ready?

Together, we can make the world a more positive one.

ADVOCACY AWARENESS – HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

Jason (my spouse) was recently reviewing the status of his friends on Facebook to see what kind of things people were up to.  He noticed that an acquaintance of ours posted how inappropriate it is for animal activists to post violent images/videos of animals being tortured.  She indicated that Facebook was not the appropriate place to post these types of images and also not appropriate for children.  She went on to say that she is against violence towards women but would never post a woman being raped on Facebook (I hope not).

I figured I would address this issue to ensure people understand why I post or share such images on social media and with my friends and family.  If you don’t see what is happening, most people would tend to believe it doesn’t exist.  So ensuring that people see the images of animals being treated in an un-ethical way is detrimental to creating awareness.  If you didn’t know the types of abuse that animals endure and the extent of their abuse, wouldn’t it make it easier to make a decision to defend them? 

I try not to watch the news (and rarely do) but, on the times were I have – the images they show are sometimes very violent.  Stories of war, genocide, murder, rape, child abuse, child porn etc….if they stopped reporting the truth – would be tend to forget and not want to advocate against these horrible events/things?  Personally, I am much more moved to act when I see images of whatever it is people are advocating for.  The government made it law for tobacco companies to add graphic images to their cigarette packages – these images are effective in communicating the dangers and health implications if you smoke.  Maybe we need to ask our government to include images of how cows/pigs/chickens and fish (and all other animals) are slaughtered or how horrible they are treated prior to being slaughtered on the outside of the package to create awareness? 

It is convenient for us to accept violence when we are not attached to it or are disconnected from it – but when it becomes personal, we make any excuse we can to not want to see the truth.  This is the reason why I became an animal advocate – I woke up!  I wanted to know what I was eating and why I was eating it – I didn’t want to just follow blindly because it was the ‘normal’ thing to do.  I learned that animals have voices – they scream when they get hurt, they are sad when abandoned, – they understand and feel, so why would I not want to ensure that we see the images of what they go through?  Animals can’t speak – they can’t tell the people who slaughter them that they don’t want to die.   Elephants, tigers, bears, lions and other circus animals can’t tell you that they do not want to be beaten in submission in order to entertain you.  Whales, dolphins, seals and sharks can’t tell you they do not want to be cooped up in a tank their whole lives in order for us to gawk at them.  Foxes, chinchillas, wolves, polar bears and other animals can’t speak to let you know that their fur isn’t made for you to wear.  Alligators, snakes and crocodiles can’t communicate that they don’t want to be murdered in order to become handbags, boots or luggage sets.  We need the images, because without them, we are completely disconnected and blind in how they are treated.

I will continue to post these images/videos on Facebook, as a matter-of-fact – I would encourage all advocates to continue to post the truth because without it – it really doesn’t exist and this type of dialogue would not be happening.  If you can’t handle being faced with the truth or don’t want to see these images – ‘un-friend’ me or whomever is sending you those images.  I only hope that when you do disconnect yourself from the truth, that you don’t forget the plight of whatever cause you shut yourself from.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!