A Tribute to Henry Spira by Daisy Chee

“If you see something that’s wrong, you’ve got to do something about it.”  – Henry Spira

“I don’t think that one can articulate a satisfaction with harming another being whether it’s human or nonhuman.” — Henry Spira

I would like to introduce you to Henry Spira, one of the world’s most effective animal activists. His life is testament to how individuals can make a real difference in this world. I got to know about Henry Spira a week ago in my readings. I was struck by his courage and determination to end animal cruelty in strategically creative ways. I was further moved by his simplistically beautiful attitude towards life. He was happy and contented devoting his life to animal welfare despite having next to nothing in conventional terms. To me, his existence was extraordinarily meaningful and worthwhile! It would be unforgivable if I did not share his story.

Heny Spira with his dog

Spira did not think of animals until 1973 when, at the age of 45, a friend dumped a cat on him to look after. That started his love affair with animals!

Spira was successful in his campaign against animal testing which led Revlon, Avon and other cosmetics companies to change their testing procedures so that many now do not test on animals and can therefore say “not tested on animals” on their products.

His full-page advertisement in The New York Times in 1980 – famously featured a rabbit with sticking plaster over the eyes – asked  “How many rabbits does Revlon blind for beauty’s sake?”

The text of his advertisement read as follows:

“Imaging someone placing your head in a stock. As you stare helplessly ahead, unable to defend yourself, your head is pulled back. Your lower eyelid is pulled away from your eyeball. The chemicals are poured into the eye. There is pain. You scream and writhe hopelessly. There is no escape. This is the Draize Test. The test which measures the harmfulness of chemicals by the damage inflicted on the unprotected eyes of conscious rabbits. The test that Revlon and other cosmetic firms force on thousands of rabbits to test their products.”

Playful Puppy for Adoption in Singapore

This is Pius

Meet Pius who was born in June 2012.

Pius was rescued together with four of his siblings from an industrial area in July 2012. His mother ran away from the area after witnessing puppies being taken away and eaten by industrial workers.

Pius was the most traumatized and shy puppy amongst his siblings.  He was with his loving fosterer since he was rescued. He has grown strongly and developed good manners. He is toilet-trained and fully vaccinated (all 3 types).

Lonely Dog for Adoption in Singapore

This is Meeky. Beneath the rugged exterior is a sweet angel.

Meet Meeky, a sweet dog born in August 2010.

Meeky is presently hiding fearfully in a construction site. Her mother abandoned her when she was six months old. Two months after that abandonment, Meeky befriended another dog, only to have her one and only doggie friend caught and killed in September 2012.

Meeky is therefore very much alone given that those close to her are no longer around. Her loneliness is amplified by her not belonging to a pack or tribe, and the constant threat of other dominant dogs in the area.

Second Singapore Animal Welfare Forum

I was not able to attend the forum and the below is an excerpt from todayonline.com published on 26 February 2012.

It appears that there has been good progress made following issues raised in the inaugural forum last year. Well done and keep up the good work everyone!

Maggot-infested dog – Is this justice?

Following my earlier blog on 5 September 2011 entitled “Kah Yong’s plea for maggot-infested dog”, there has been an outcome. The perpetrator of this terrible act of animal cruelty got off with only a fine of $5,000! According to Kah Yong below, neither he nor other eye-witnesses were invited to present their accounts and evidence at the court hearing.

Do you think justice has been meted out? You be the judge!

A Tribute to Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary by Daisy Chee

Once in a while, you come across someone whose passion and dedication to a good cause touches you. That someone for me is Raymund Wee, the selfless founder of Noah’s Ark CARES.

I had the privilege of visiting Raymund’s Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (“NANAS”)  in Johor Bahru, Malaysia in early January 2012. It was an enlightening visit. NANAS provides care for about 800 dogs, 500 cats, 5 horses and numerous rabbits, chickens, monkeys, guinea pigs, etc. I was so happy to see these animals roaming around and playing freely. It has been a while since I saw this, the closest I have seen being the free range zoos in Australia. I am grateful for the following video which was posted previously on YouTube:

Raymund Wee’s greatest regret is not being able to take in every animal who needs and deserves a life like the ones in NANAS.

Inaugural Animal Advocates Meeting in Singapore

If you are a committed animal advocate, please check this out:

The meeting is on 26 December 2011 from 7.00pm to 8.30pm. If you can make it, please register at this website by 18 December 2011 over here or contact Jane La via lajaneleong@yahoo.com

We need to establish the number of attendees for the venue.