Raise Your Bark!

Animal welfare groups ask President Obama to help dogs by cracking down on puppy mills

Less than ten days since its filing, a petition submitted to the White House from The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the Humane Society Legislative Fund asking President Obama to crack down on puppy mills gathered more than 10,600 signatures – doubling the threshold  needed to assure an official response.

The groups submitted this petition using a new feature on the White House website called “We the People,” which allows individuals to seek federal action. In turn, the White House promises a response to any petition gathering at least 5,000 signatures within 30 days. The anti-puppy mill petition met the requirement in less than one week, and as of today has more than 10,600 signatures. The petition is now the most popular animal-related petition on the White House website, and one of the top 15 overall.

“Thousands of animal lovers across the country are bringing the issue of puppy mills directly to the President’s attention,” said Melanie Kahn, senior director of the Puppy Mills Campaign for The HSUS. “The petition asks the President to close a loophole that permits large-scale, commercial breeders who sell puppies online and directly to the public to escape basic oversight and minimal animal care standards.  The Obama Administration needs to act now and close this loophole to crack down on the worst puppy mill abuses.”

“The ASPCA has seen first-hand the unspeakable cruelty and horrific conditions of puppy mills,” said Cori Menkin, senior director of the puppy mills campaign at The ASPCA. “The existing regulatory loophole allows many commercial breeders to operate without a license and without any inspection—meaning they are not accountable to anyone for their breeding and care standards. President Obama can take action to protect dogs and consumers and we urge him to do so.”

“For too long the U.S. Department of Agriculture has not regulated or inspected commercial breeders selling puppies over the Internet to unsuspecting consumers.  The Obama Administration has taken the first step to shutting down the foreign imports of underage puppies.  Now it’s time to properly oversee all large-scale puppy mills in the United States,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.

Dogs in puppy mills typically are confined inside cramped wire cages for life, receive little to no medical care, and live in squalid conditions with little or no exercise, socialization or human interaction. The dogs must endure constant breeding cycles, often at the expense of their own health. Puppy mill dogs are sold in pet stores, online and directly to unsuspecting consumers with little to no regard for the dog’s health, genetic history or future welfare.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently issued a proposed rule to prohibit the import of puppies younger than six months of age from foreign puppy mills for commercial resale in the United States, implementing a law passed by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill. This White House petition calls on the agency to close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act regulations which currently only cover large-scale commercial dog breeders who sell puppies wholesale to brokers or pet stores, but provide no oversight or standards for those who sell directly to the public through newspaper ads or the Internet.

180 pigs escape during a car accident on their way to a bacon factory. Unfortunately they were rounded up later and slaughtered, but seeing this just says so much. 

"Maybe Vegan Pie In The Sky has me dreaming of pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but woman can not live on pie alone! Or can she?

These pie-inspires pancakes are actually a recipe that I created for Appetite For Reduction (but forgot to put in the manuscript), so they’re deliciously healthful with no added oil. Applesauce and a few tablespoons of flax seeds make them moist and fluffy. Laced with fragrant spices and topped with sweet, luscious cinnamon apples, they’ll satisfy any sweet craving and time of day.

Choose whatever average sized red apples look best to you; honeycrisp, gala and fuji are all good choices. I would stay away from super tart green ones for this. Prepare the apples first then start the pancakes while the apples cook, and you should be able to get everything done in 30 minutes or so.

And just a pro-tip about prepping here: Apples are kind of my culinary nemesis. I love eating them and cooking with them, but for some reason prepping them drives me crazy. The peeling, the coring…if ever I’m owed a favor, you know that person is gonna’ be peeling my apples. If you feel similarly, rest assured that you don’t need to be too meticulous with your peeling. Just get most of the skin off, a few surviving strips here and there is fine and actually looks pretty. I also don’t bother with apple corers because those devices are made in Satan’s workshop. Just slice around the core and you are good to go.

For Apple Topping: 4 apples, peeled, diced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 1/4 pounds) 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup apple juice 1 tablespoon organic cornstarch or arrowroot 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

For Pancakes: 1 cup plain almond milk (or preferred non-dairy milk) 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds (sold as flax meal) 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour, but not regular whole wheat flour) 2 tsp baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg pinch ground allspice pinch ground cloves 1/2 tsp salt 2 tablespoons apple sauce 2/3 cup apple juice 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Prepare the topping: Toss all topping ingredients in a medium (4 quart) pot, sprinkle on the cinnamon. Mix it up so that the corn starch dissolves. Use an angled wooden spoon to do the mixing since it reaches the bottom corners of the pot.

Cover pot and bring to a boil, keeping a close eye. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Once apples are nice and tender, smash a few of them to thicken sauce. Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to serve.

Prepare the pancakes: Pour almond milk into a measuring cup. Mix in apple cider vinegar and ground flax seeds with a fork. Set aside; mixture will thicken.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, spices and salt. Create a well in the center and add the milk mixture and the apple sauce, apple juice, vanilla and maple syrup. Use a fork to mix until relatively smooth, a few lumps are okay. Let the batter rest, and preheat a large, non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat.

When pan is hot, spray with a thin layer of cooking spray and use an ice cream scooper or scant 1/4 cup measure to pour batter and form pancakes. If you can fit three at a time that’d be great. The pancake should start to form little air bubbles, but not as much as pancakes with oil do, so don’t worry if they don’t bubble too much. Cook until the edges are dry and the tops of the pancakes are only slightly wet, about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Keep warm on a plate covered with tin foil until all pancakes are ready to serve.

"Thinking of adding a pet to your family? Here are five reasons to adopt your new best friend.

1. You'll save a life

Sadly, between 3 and 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States simply because too many people give up their pets and too few people adopt from shelters. Because there is limited space at shelters, staff members sometimes need to make very hard decisions to euthanize animals who haven't been adopted.

The number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. By adopting from a private humane society or animal shelter, breed rescue group, or the local animal control agency, you'll help save the lives of two animals—the pet you adopt and a homeless animal somewhere who can be rescued because of space you helped free up.

2. You'll get a healthy pet

Animal shelters are brimming with happy, healthy animals just waiting for someone to take them home. Most shelters examine and give vaccinations to animals when they arrive, and many spay or neuter them before being adopted. In addition to medical care, more and more shelters also screen animals for specific temperaments and behaviors to make sure each family finds the right pet for its lifestyle.

It is a common misconception that animals end up in shelters because they've been abused or done something "wrong". In fact, most animals are given to shelters because of "people reasons," not because of anything they've done. Things like a divorce, a move, lack of time or financial constraints are among the most common reasons why pets lose their homes.

3. You'll save money

Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is much less expensive than buying a pet at a pet store or through other sources. In addition, animals from many shelters are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated, which makes the shelter's fee a real bargain. 

4. You'll feel better

Pets have a way of putting a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Not only do animals give you unconditional love, but they have been shown to be psychologically, emotionally, and physically beneficial. Caring for a companion animal can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment and lessen feelings of loneliness and isolation in all age groups.

Pets can help your physical health as well—just spending time with an animal can help lower a person's blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and dog walking, pet grooming, and even petting provide increased physical activity that can help strengthen the heart, improve blood circulation, and slow the loss of bone tissue. Put simply, pets aren't just good friends, they're also good medicine and can improve a person's well-being in many ways. 

5. You won't be supporting puppy mills and pet stores

Puppy mills are "factory style" dog-breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs. Most dogs raised in puppy mills are housed in shockingly poor conditions with improper medical care, and the parents of the puppies are kept in cages to be bred over and over for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever joining a family. And after they're no longer profitable, breeding dogs are simply discarded—either killed, abandoned or sold at auction.  Puppy mill puppies are sold to unsuspecting consumers in pet stores, over the Internet and through newspaper classified advertisements to whoever is willing to pay for them.

Marketed as coming from great breeders, well-rehearsed sales tactics keep money flowing to the puppy mill by ensuring that buyers never get to see where the pups actually come from (a vital step in puppy buying). Many of the puppies have serious behavioral and health problems that might not be apparent for months, including medical problems that can cost thousands of dollars to treat, if they are treatable at all. Unfortunately, a lot of people are not even aware that puppy mills exist, so when they buy a pet from a pet store, online or other retail outlet, they are unwittingly supporting this cruel industry.

"A rich chocolate cake with a creamy mousse topping, this is a classic cupcake combo for chocolate lovers. Of course, you can use this cupcake without the mousse for all your basic chocolate cupcake needs. Prepare the mousse first so that it has time to set, and garnish the cupcake with a berry and chocolate shavings, if you like! This recipe is modified from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

For the mousse: 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (one package is usually 12 ounces) 12 oz extra firm silken tofu (the vacuum packed kind) 1/4 cup plain soy milk 2 tablespoons agave syrup or maple syrup 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cupcakes: 1 cup soy milk 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt

    Cooking spray

Prepare the Mousse: Crumble the tofu into a blender. Add the soy milk, agave and vanilla extract. Puree until completely smooth. Set aside.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Obviously you don’t have a double boiler so take a small sauce pan and fill half way with water. On top of that place a small sauté pan. Fill the sauté pan with chocolate chips and bring the water to a boil. Use a rubber spatula to mix the chocolate as it melts. Once melted, remove from heat and let cool for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chocolate to the tofu and blend until well combined, use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender every so often.

Transfer the mousse to an air tight container or a bowl covered in saran wrap and let chill for an hour.

Prepare the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).

Lightly spray the liners with cooking spray and pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

To assemble: Once the mousse is chilled and set and the cupcakes have cooled, remove from the refrigerator and stir with a fork to a spreadable consistency.  Fit a pastry bag with a wide decorating tip. Fill the bag with mousse and pipe it onto the cupcake in a spiral, starting from the outside in or in. Add chocolate chips or chocolate shavings if you are feeling especially fancy pants.