I am busy caring for three ("teenaged")
ducklings. Julian and I were on the way to the supermarket, and we
noticed a crowd of Chassidim in the middle of the street. As we got
closer, I could see that there were birds on the ground, and that the
kids were taunting them, while the adults just watched. Furious, I ran
out of the car and asked them what they were doing. They proceeded to
mock me, as I picked up the ducks and put them into my car. I yelled at
the kids and told them the Torah tells you to be kind to animals. Then
I yelled at the adults for standing there and allowing them to taunt the
birds. One teenage boy said that I was absolutely right, and one adult
thanked me for taking them.
The ducks must have fallen off a live
poultry market truck. It was raining and the ducks were wet and
hungry. Fortunately, I had some cat food in the car, which they ate
like there was no tomorrow! One of the ducks has a little cloudiness
in his eyes, and some of their feathers have been rubbed away (probably
from being on top of each other in the crates), but otherwise they
appear to be in good health.
I spoke with Sean Casey who said he'd help
me find a sanctuary for them. Then I called David Benzaquen from Farm
Sanctuary, who, not only got approval to accept them at the farm, but
will send a person to my home to pick them up as soon as possible!
I wish each and every one of my contacts who
still eats meat could meet these ducks. It would be an up close and
personal "Meet Your Meat" moment. No birds should live in cages so
tiny that their feathers rub off and produce sores on the skin. No
birds should have to watch and smell the blood and the fear, as each is
brutally killed, knowing that they will be next. Sadly, that is what
happens in factory "farms," as well as at "mom and pop" slaughterhouses
all over the country. There is no such thing as humane killing.
Moreover, until the time they are killed, they lead miserable, tortured
lives. Aside from all of this, their flesh is unhealthy for human
consumption. Seventy percent of the antibiotics produced in this
country go into the livestock industry. In addition, animal agriculture
is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars,
trucks, planes, buses, and all forms of transportation COMBINED.
I implore you to think about this the next
time you think about eating meat. People say to me "they have already
been killed for us." The fact is, if the demand goes down, so will the
production. Meat, dairy, and eggs are products of animal suffering,
whether people want to admit it or not. People can choose to either
live a kind, compassionate life or remain blissfully ignorant. More and
more people are starting to make kind choices.
Please, go veg ... for your health, for the
planet, and (obviously) for the animals!
Rina Deych, RN
Brooklyn, NY
PS: Greg Straightedge, from Farm Sanctuary,
just picked up the birds and they are on their way to their new home!
I took a few short video clips and will post them on my YouTube page as
soon as I get a chance:
A great big THANK YOU to David and Greg and
to Farm Sanctuary for their limitless compassion!
And thank you to Sean Casey for trying to help me find a sanctuary, even
though he is inundated.
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