WE ANIMALS | Jo-Anne McArthur | www.weanimals.org

Page » 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

June 2nd, 2010
If Not You, Then Who? If Not Now, Then When?

The We Animals exhibit and fundraiser was such a success, I can hardly believe it. We arrived at the venue, which is Jason Yuen's office, and rearranged the whole place into a swank lookin' art and party space. Lots of people came, even more than I'd hoped. Jason deejay'ed, the ladies who organized the event worked their butts off all evening to make sure everything went smoothly. HUGE THANK YOUS to Sandy, Karen, Carol and Connie. They made and brought tonnes of veggie food and burgers which we devoured. Thank you to Ryan for handling the BBQ all night, to Karol for designing the pamphlet and making awesome vegan cookies, to Vanessa for being, as usual, the master of decor, to Emily for the poster...hm... there are more thank yous that I am surely forgetting. Thank you to everyone who donated to the silent auction, including Panacea, Delta Chelsea Hotels, Blue Rabbit Jewelry, Shizen Spa and so many others. Thank you to everyone who attended; I hope you had a great time and came away from the event w/ some nice art or some lovely treats!

Jason and Sandy forced me to do a quick hello and intro which I dreaded but turned out well in the end. Mostly because Sherri Delaney asked what I wanted everyone to take away from the evening, from looking at the images from We Animals.

Something that's really killing me these days is that we're completely saturated with information. Knowledge is power, right? More than ever, people know about factory farming. They know about not buying a dog when they can be adopted from a shelter. Many of us have seen "The Cove" and we know that dolphins are being slaughtered in Taiji. We know that wearing fur is unnecessary and cruel. My photos aim to add to this pool of knowledge about animal abuses and educate that these abuses are unnecessary. The thing is, we're gaining all this knowledge but it's not moving enough of us to change in real and meaningful ways. For some reason, knowledge seldom equals caring. We're too comfortable in our lifestyles. Change seems difficult, uncomfortable. We're too used to having anything we want at a low personal cost.

So, that was my answer to Sherri and to everyone there, and to anyone who reads this blog. That we all need to start acting on the things we've learned. Myself included. I spent two weeks shooting at the oil spill and I still drive my car when I don't need to.

Time is critical. Please. Let's get off our butts. There are so many compassionate options. So many bikes to ride, so many veggie burgers to devour! Make small and then big changes, and share them with others, ask others to do the same. Expect and encourage others to do the same.

If not you, then who? If not now, then when?

June 2nd, 2010
Tea Tree: the new veggie restaurant in my 'hood... yum yum!

click to enlarge

I've been waiting for a great veggie cafe to open in my 'hood and my dreams have been answered! Tea Tree Cafe and Eatery deserves all the love and support you can give it... this place is cozy and delicious. The menu boasts favourites such as vegan chili, the tomato melt and a new summer sandwich: the black bean burger.
open link
Hours of operation: Mon-Fri, 8am - 6pm. Weekends: 10am - 6pm. Yes, they do brunch!
Free wi-fi too, so good :)

May 26th, 2010
We Animals FUNDRAISER, May 29th, 6pm

click to enlarge

Hi everyone,

A group of amazing people are holding a fundraiser for We Animals this weekend.
Saturday, May 29th at 6pm.
Nulogy Loft
183 Bathurst St, 4th floor
north of Queen St. W

It will be a fun evening including:
an exhibit of We Animals photography, a silent auction of prints, clothing, jewelry, spa treatments, getaways at hotels, etc. Lots of fun stuff! Also, a foosball tourney and a poker tournament too!

There will be food and wine.

Come one come all!
Please invite your friends,
and please RSVP to info@weanimals.org

By supporting We Animals, you`re supporting over 30 animal welfare organizations who benefit from the free photos that promote their work, and you also help raise awareness about animal issues around the globe.

If you can`t attend the event, please consider making a small donation via Pay Pal at open link

Thanks everyone!

For the animals,
Jo-Anne

(In this photograph, Cambodian Free the Bears staff member plays with a rescued asiatic black bear cub. open link)

May 26th, 2010
A Tribute

click to enlarge

I attended the 2009 Canadian Purina Hall of Fame awards a few weeks back. To be sure, there were some bright and compassionate animals awarded for bravery. One dog in particular, named Chance (see photo), had spent two days and nights in a snow storm with a young autistic boy who had got lost in the forest near his house. The dog never left the boy's side, not even for food, water or shelter. Only when there was no hope left for the boy, who eventually succumbed to hypothermia, did the dog return home. When Chance received his medal, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Many animals deserve our recognition, not just those we keep like family members as "man's best friend". There are billions of animals each year who serve us and yet remain voiceless, faceless, unrecognized. These factory farmed animals, who also have personalities, desires, fears and compassion, live short and painful lives so that we, and our dogs, may consume them at the lowest possible price. There are no rewards for these animals.

There are few tributes to factory farmed animals, least of all from Purina.

So, this is mine, to all the rest.

May 21st, 2010
More information about the wildlife situation in the Gulf

click to enlarge

There are oiled birds being rescued in the Gulf of Mexico as we speak. However, the majority of them aren’t saturated in oil and only have their chests or bellies tainted. If a bird becomes badly oiled, this can cause hypo- or hyperthermia, depending on whether they are wet or how high the Gulf heat climbs. The Tri-State bird rescue teams are situated at 4 locations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, and are equipped for worst-case scenarios. Everyone’s hope is that the birds will stay clear of the oiled areas, but this is next to impossible due to the size of the spill, during a time when birds are nesting and rearing young ones. Please visit open link if you are interested in helping wildlife during this time of crisis, which might well be one of the worst environmental disasters this world has seen.
In this photograph, two rescued and de-oiled brown pelicans rest and recuperate in privacy at the Fort Jackson Tri-State rehab center.