Testing cosmetics on animals should be banned

Earlier this week, you may have heard The Australian Greens introduced a bill into the Federal parliament which would ban all cosmetic testing on animals.

Insert fist pump here!

If the bill gets supported, and we should BLOODY well support it, Australian’s would be taking a step closer to a world that stands strong against cruelty to animals.

Before I go any further, here comes a truth bomb. I actually didn’t know if the beauty products I use were tested on animals or not. Shock. Horror. Shoot me.

Buying hand cream/foundation/eye shadow that has been tested on animals is a bad choice. Poor innocent animals shouldn’t be subjected to pain and all sorts of horrors for the sake of slapping some cream on my face. Dogs, mice, rats and other animals shouldn’t be locked in cold cages. They shouldn’t sit and wait in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be performed on them.

{Here’s a suggestion. Why not test beauty products on disgusting human beings like Brett Cowan?}

Maybe I’ve turned a blind eye to animal cruelty. Why? Because it’s super sad to hear about and I feel helpless. But I/WE need to open our eyes to the bigger picture here. As of today, we can make better informed choices about what we eat and what we buy.

The first step is learn which companies test their products on animals – click here. Wave bye bye to Clinique, Garnier, TREsemme, Dove, Maybelline, Kerastase, L’Oreal?

The second step is to open our cosmetic bags and bathroom cabinets and see if any of the listed companies and brands reside with you.

MOST IMPORTANTLY. Let’s support the companies that pledge to NEVER test on animals. Click here.

What else can we do?
How serious are you about choosing cruelty free beauty products?  Take the pledge today and don’t buy anymore products tested on animals. Get familiar with the cruelty free company list. Check labels. Show those bunnies and guinea pigs that you care. And don’t forget to encourage family and friends to buy cruelty free products.

Be informed. Make better choices.

Side note: I admit I eat meat. I own leather products. I’ve attended a circus show. Until this week I had never really considered the impact of these actions on animals. Researching this post made me commit to animals rights, so from this week onwards I’ll be following the #MeatFreeMonday movement, I won’t be buying anymore leather products and the circus can get stuffed!

Image credit: Pet Safety News

My dog bit me on the ………

Get ready for this story. It involves female pink bits and dogs.

Last Friday night I was at my sister in laws place getting ready to eat crab legs (YUM!) for dinner. My two dogs, Sonny and Benji, decided to fight. AND …… When they fight it normally ends in someone or something getting hurt. It’s awful to witness and horrifying to stop them.

Hubby and I immediately jumped in and tried to pull the two of them apart.

Unfortunate for me, Benji turned around, jumped up in-between my legs and bit me. This is called ‘reactive aggression’ and Benji is simply trying to protect himself.

So where did he bite me? ON THE LABIA!!!!!!!!

Yep, I’m sporting two puncture wounds on my VJJ flap. {Insert ‘OUCH’ here}.

I screamed. I cried. I ran to the bathroom and found blood everywhere. The silly mutt had got me a good one.

Seriously, I can’t make this stuff up! A dog bite on the VJJ? Come on! If Benji had bit me 5mm to the right, my sex life would be all over, red rover.

Conclusion – Benji needs help and I need some Xanax.

Please SHARE: Orphaned pets across the world need your voice today

Today is Remember Me Thursday – a very special day to remember the millions of animals living in shelters across the globe, waiting to be adopted.

Animal lovers and animal welfare groups around the world will join together to light a candle and shine a light on pet adoption. The candles will honor the millions of pets who lost their lives without the benefit of a loving home and shine a light on the millions of healthy pets who are still awaiting adoption. The Remember Me Thursday global awareness campaign encourages individuals to light a candle today (literally or virtually) and to opt to adopt, reducing the millions of orphan pets euthanised each year.

Most of my readers know that I have two gorgeous rescue dogs, Sonny and Benji. (You can click on the links to read their adoption stories). Choosing to adopt a dog (and save it’s life) was the right decision for us. Their history and pedigree is not important to us, however providing a loving, safe fur-ever home was. Anyone with a pet will tell you what a joy paw-renthood is.

How can you join in today?

1. Change Your Facebook or Twitter Icon:
Change your Facebook profile picture or Twitter icon to the Remember Me Thursday icon to show your support for pet adoption worldwide! Click here.

2. Share Your Love For Pet Adoption on Social Media – #LightForPets
Have you adopted a pet? Share your story and spread the word about Remember Me Thursday on Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels. Don’t forget to use #LIGHTFORPETS to share your thoughts and feelings about the importance of pet adoption.

3. Light A Candle today
Your candle will honour the millions of dogs & cats who are euthanised before they had the chance to find a loving family and fur-ever home.

4. Adopt a Pet
Adopting my boys, Sonny & Benji, was by far the best decision I have ever made. We adopted Sonny through www.paws.com.au and Benji through www.maggiesrescue.com. If you’re unable to adopt a pet right now, please open your wallets (and hearts) and make a donation to ANY animal welfare group. The volunteers who run these organisations are tireless, barely acknowledged and rely on donations to pay for vet expenses, food and medicines for the pets in foster care.

Pamper the paws in your life

This one is for the dog lovers out there. Nobody on this earth will love you more, be more patient with your mood swings, or keeps your secrets better than a dog!

If you’ve seen the movie or read the book ‘Marley and Me’, you’ll remember this John Grogan quote: “A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his”.

I’m a huge dog lover and my boys Sonny and Benji are my furry babies. Love them to bits and spoil them constantly! Yes, I’m that person. I’m an OTT dog lover who loves to share cool new pooch products with fellow dog lovers!

 

1. Hey Pup! bed covers – made from 100% cotton, these bed covers slip over the top of your existing dogs bed. Easy to slip off and wash and perfect for summer. Hey Pup! has lots of different designs to choose from to complement your home decor. {You can also buy the memory foam insert separately}.

2. Bone & Soul organic shampoo & conditioner – designed to repel flea and ticks and other insects naturally. Featuring a shampoo and conditioner with essential oils of Sweet Orange {calming and repels fleas}, Lemongrass {prevents barking, repels ticks and lice} and Rosewood {good for skin conditions}.

 

3. Gourmet Dog Barkery – This is an Aussie company making quality, organic and preservative free dog treats. The flavours have my mouth watering: Baked Dinner, Dog Biscotti, Banana & Peanut Butter, Charcoal Chicken and Fish & Chips. You can also order your pooch a birthday cake, Doggy Donuts and Pooch Pops as a special treat! This is so frikken cute.

Yours droolly,

Boys are pawsome

I’ve had lots of people asking about our new dog Benji and how he’s settling into his forever home. {Original post is here}.

Big brother love

Benji is the SWEETEST, most ADORABLE little guy you’ll ever meet. He’s very inquisitive, loves to follow his big brother, copies his every move and has a fascination with hair {loves to sniff everyone’s head}.

Benji has been with us for 7 weeks now and it already feels like he’s been here with us all along. It’s such a darling feeling.

It’s been interesting to watch Sonny and how he reacts to having this new brother around. The first few weeks were all about playing with Sonny showing him who’s boss. Then it turned into Sonny being aggressive with Benji and not wanting to play. Sonny became very jealous if Benji sat near us. But they have both settled now …. and I’d almost say it’s bliss at the moment.

I love walking the two dogs each day. I love their wagging tails when I walk through the front door. I love when they chase each other all over the house. And I especially love it when they groom and kiss one another.

Life is pawsome.

 

Saving a life – meet Benji

Introducing my newest and youngest family member – Benji.

Benji & I

Hubby and I had the recent pleasure of adopting this little beauty – Poodle x Shih Tzu – over the weekend.Benji was found abandoned in the small NSW country town of Young and very skinny and malnourished. The fabulous rescue group Maggies Rescue gave Benji medical treatment, placed him in foster care, got him healthy and he is now in his forever home with us.

Benji & Sonny

Benji’s new big brother Sonny adores him and we already have lots of video’s and photos of the two boys playing.

Adopting rescue dogs has been one of the biggest and most rewarding experiences of my life. There are so many animals in pounds or foster homes that are beautiful creatures. With a little TLC they will become your best friend and give you nothing but unconditional pawsome love.

It’s for this very reason that I will always support animal adoption. Without animal welfare groups – like Maggie’s, Monika‘s and Paws – my furry babies may not be here!

Dog Lover – My Sonny

I know that having children and caring for children is tough work. Children depend on you day and night for food, clothes, shelter and Xboxes. Children demand your undivided attention 24/7, or else they harm themselves or starve themselves.

Now, I don’t have children yet, but I can see certain similarities between children and dogs. I’m a dog lover. BIG dog lover and I often refer to my Moodle, Sonny, as my child. He’s my everything and I would absolutely throw myself in front of a bus if it meant saving his life. My love for Sonny unwavering, deep and immense and I thank my lucky stars every day that he came into my life.

Sonny (9 months old)

Sonny was a rescue pup. An organization called PAWS rescued Sonny and his brother from a family who mistreated them. He was nine months old when we adopted him and it took hubby and I a few months to fully rehabilitate him. Sonny hated to be touched on his head, was scared of men, attacked human feet and often played hide and seek under our bed.

Now? He’s famous for French kissing our guests, loves cuddles in front of the TV, falls asleep if you rub his belly and absolutely adores chasing flys around the backyard.

And just like any good parent, I prepare Sonny’s meals, clean his number ones, number twos and number threes (don’t’ ask), give him treats if he behaves, teach him manners, comfort him when he has a nightmare and take him to the vet when he’s unwell. Sonny is a fully fledged member of our little wolf pack…. I mean family and that makes me an almost-mum!

Sonny & his favourite toy

The bond between human and canine is beautiful. As Josh Grogan says in the book Marley and Me “A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his”.

If you’re in need of love & companionship, rescue a dog today. You’ll have a mate for life.