FAREWELL 2014 and WELCOME 2015

Posted on January 5, 2015 by robpavao

The end of one year and the beginning of another is a great time for reflection and to think about some of the things we would like to accomplish. People call these resolutions, I prefer to call them ‘processes for individual growth’.

As I reflect back on 2014, I am grateful for the posts I shared on helping animals from abuse, stopping human rights atrocities and protecting our environment/planet from destruction. Some of the advocacy groups have made great strides in these areas and you can review their successes by visiting their websites, here are a few:

HELPING ABUSED ANIMALS

PETA (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have documented their successes for the 2014 year – you can view them here: www.peta.org

Esther The Wonder Pig has finally found a forever home in her new sanctuary. This was a long process and it finally came to fruition in 2014. You can read her story here: www.estherthewonderpig.com

Benjy – a gentle bull was supposed to go to slaughter because he was supposedly gay and wasn’t breeding. Due too much public outcry and animal activism, Benjy was saved and sent to live in a sanctuary. Read his story here: www.aran.ie

ENVIRONMENT

People from all walks of life came together to fight, protest and speak out against the lack of environmental protection laws and to demand change in various ways. Here are some great successes for our environment:

Grassroots movement to fight Kinder Morgan from building a pipeline on Burnaby mountain in British Columbia, Canada. More info can be found here: www.greenpeace.org

The People’s Climate March mobilized hundreds of people from around the globe to send the 100 world leaders meeting in New York City to send them a clear message – we need better environmental policies around the world to ensure a difference can be made against climate change. It was the biggest climate change protest the world has ever seen. More info can be found here: www.peoplesclimate.org or www.350.org

David Suzuki’s Blue Dot Tour brought together some of Canada’s brightest musicians to help create awareness about climate change…for more information about this great project, check out: www.bluedot.ca or www.davidsuzuki.org

HUMAN RIGHTS and LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered) ISSUES

2014 saw many individuals advocating for human rights and brought many people together to fight discrimination and racism directly and boldly. Here are some inspiring moments:

Ferguson protests – A grand jury acquitted the officer from any responsibility in the shooting death of Michael Brown. This injustice prompted many protests around the world standing behind Michael Brown’s family and so many other black males who have been victims of police brutality, racial profiling and many senseless murders at the hands of police officers who have sworn to serve and protect. Here is more information: www.democracynow.org

Malala Yousafzai – an activist for women’s right to education from Pakistan wins the Nobel Peace Prize. More information about Malala’s life can be found here: www.malala.org

2014 was also the year that William Hague and Angelina Jolie launched their campaign to make rape a war crime. It was also the year women were finally able to become bishops in the Church of England.

Activism for the LGBT community pays off in 2014 as the US Supreme Court denies petitions from five states seeking to preserve bans on same-sex marriage. President Barack Obama signs an executive order in July prohibiting businesses that hold contracts with the federal government from discriminating against employees or potential employees based on sexual orientation and gender identify. Here are other LGBT-related stories that made headlines in 2014: www.pridesource.com

What is in store for 2015? For me, I plan to continue my advocacy for animals, the environment and human rights issues by sharing my personal stories and stories from around the world that will enlighten and give people some insight on social issues that need to be addressed with truth, honesty and compassion.

May 2015 bring you much love, light and allow you to create positive change in the world.

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

WHO IS ESTHER…..THE PIG?

Posted on July 14, 2014 by robpavao

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!

LOVE & JOY ANIMALS BRING

Posted on March 27, 2014 by robpavao

If you think that animals don’t have feelings and don’t have emotions – think again. Anything that is sentient should be treated with respect. Animals are not ours for fashion, entertainment or experimentation. These videos will show you how much joy, happiness and love animals are capable of:

GOATS PLAYING

BELLA and BUBBLES

BEST FRIENDS

RABBIT ISLAND in JAPAN

***this island was where they used to experiment on animals, they have since stopped and allowed the rabbits to live in relative safety***

DOG REUNITED with HER DOG AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM DEPLOYMENT – QUEEN LATIFAH SHOW

GIRAFFE SAYS GOODBYE TO TERMINALLY ILL ZOO EMPLOYEE WHO HELPED CARED FOR IT

ESTHER THE WONDER PIG

Animals are amazing – please help spread the word and don’t support the fur industry, beef industry, hunting, animals being held without care, Sea World, or any outlet that expoits, tortures or kills animals inhumanely. Animals have emotions just like you and I – please be respectful and loving.

Pleae help your local animal shelter by donating items they may need or with monetary donations, if you don’t have a local animal shelter – here are some websites you can visit to make your donations:

www.estherthewonderpig.com

www.majesticwaterfoul.org

www.dreamtimesanctuary.org