WASHINGTON (Dec. 18, 2010)--The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund applaud President Barack Obama for signing an important bipartisan bill to protect consumers and animals. The Truth in Fur Labeling Act (H.R. 2480), which passed the House of Representatives in July and the Senate in early December, will bring much-needed accuracy and disclosure to fur products. The legislation closes a loophole in federal law that currently allows some animal fur garments to go unlabeled if the value of the fur is $150 or less, leaving consumers in the dark as to whether they are buying faux or animal fur. HSUS investigations have found jackets trimmed with animal fur being sold across the country without labels or falsely advertised as "faux fur." "By signing this legislation, President Obama has given consumers who choose to avoid real animal fur for moral reasons a valuable tool," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "The Truth in Fur Labeling Act will protect shoppers by requiring all garments containing animal fur to be accurately labeled." The HSUS and HSLF also expressed their thanks to the sponsors of this legislation—Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and David Vitter, R-La., and Reps. Jim Moran, D-Va., Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., and Ed Whitfield, R-Ky.—for their leadership on this critical animal welfare and consumer protection issue, and to House and Senate leaders for working to bring the bill over the finish line in Congress. Facts

• Gucci Group, Burberry, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Buffalo Exchange, Overstock.com, Ed Hardy, Victoria Bartlett, Charlotte Ronson, and Andrew Marc, among other retailers and designers, have endorsed closing the fur labeling loophole.
• An HSUS investigation found raccoon dog fur on more than two-thirds of a nationwide sample of fur-trimmed jackets purchased from well-known retailers and designers. Of the raccoon dog fur jackets tested, not a single one properly identified the animal in advertising or labeling, instead calling it such things as faux fur, raccoon, or simply not labeling it at all.
• H.R. 2480 had 171 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, and S. 1076 had 34 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate.
• The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 banned the trade in domestic dog and cat fur after an HSUS investigation revealed the gruesome deaths of 2 million dogs and cats a year in China and other parts of Asia for the fur trade and found domestic dog and cat fur for sale in the United States. The HSUS later found domestic dog fur slipping into the country on unlabeled jackets.
• The HSUS testified in favor of the Truth in Fur Labeling Act at a House subcommittee hearing on May 13.

• Monkee Genes makes sustainable, affordable, organic denim in lots of styles and colors. They do not use sweatshop labor and have been awarded the Soil Association Organic Standard. Only $79, and you can buy direct from them here.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program still uses highly toxic poisons to kill tens of thousands of animals each year. These poisons -- M-44 cyanide devices and the Compound 1080 toxic collar -- are so deadly that the FBI recently listed them as "highly toxic pesticides judged most likely to be used by terrorists or for malicious intent." These cruel and indiscriminate poisons kill wildlife and family pets, and even threaten human safety. Urge USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to stop the use of these terrible toxins, and move his agency toward non-lethal methods that are safer, more effective, less expensive, and more humane.

“Orcas are the most social animal on the planet, even more so than us,” said O’Barry. “Males will stay with their mothers their entire lives. When we capture an animal like Tilikum, we take him away from the two most important things of his life; the world of sound and family. We put them in a concrete box and expect him to stay mentally healthy. It simply doesn’t work.” - Rick O'Barry, Marine Mammal Specialist EII

"The truth is you cannot blame having to kill shelter animals on an “irresponsible public” or “too many animals” when a shelter doesn’t implement lifesaving and low cost programs. I personally witnessed missed opportunity after missed opportunity from alienating potential fosters to terrible customer service to rude behavior toward rescue groups. I heard the same stories from other volunteers.  These were not isolated cases. These were failures of management and staff to do what they should be doing: saving lives."

Videotape from the investigation reveals that veal calves only a few days old—many with their umbilical cords still hanging from their bodies—were unable to stand or walk on their own. The tape shows that the animals were kicked, slapped and repeatedly shocked with electric prods and subjected to other mistreatment.

Professional athlete-turned-firefighter Rip Esselstyn is used to responding to emergencies. So, when he learned that some of his fellow Engine 2 firefighters in Austin, TX, were in dire physical condition-several had dangerously high cholesterol levels (the highest was 344!)- he sprang into action and created a life-saving plan for the firehouse. By following Rip's program, everyone lost weight (some more than 20 lbs.), lowered their cholesterol (Mr. 344's dropped to 196), and improved their overall health. Now, Rip outlines his proven plan in this book. With Rip as your expert coach and motivator, you'll transform your body and lifestyle in a month. His plant-powered eating plan is based on a diet of whole foods, including vegetables, whole grains, fruit, legumes, seeds and nuts. - www.theengine2diet.com

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RECIPE: Cookie Pies!

1. Organic, Fair-Trade Certified Menswear from Across the Pond! By Nature has a few great mens' items like this beige polo, the red check shirt, and the dark brown button-down!

. . . . . 4. Howies makes sharp organic & recycled menswear! Howies, another UK-based company, makes recycled-poly board-shorts, organic hoodies, organic jeans, and everything else you can think of. This is a great find! 3. PETA declares victory in Canada KFC campaign!

PETA has won a major battle in its efforts to stop the worst abuses of chickens by KFC. KFC Canada has agreed to a historic animal welfare plan that will improve conditions for millions of birds. However, the decision makers that run KFC in other countries are allowing the worst cruelty to continue. KFC Canada has agreed to a historic new animal welfare plan that will dramatically improve the lives and deaths of millions of chickens killed for KFC Canada. The company will take the following actions:

• Phase in purchases of 100 percent of its chickens from suppliers that use controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—the least cruel form of poultry slaughter ever developed. KFC Canada is the first major restaurant chain to commit to phasing in the exclusive purchasing of chicken meat from CAK slaughterhouses.
• Add a vegan faux-chicken item to the menu of all 461 Priszm-owned KFC restaurants (more than half of all the KFCs in Canada).
• Improve its animal welfare audit criteria to reduce the number of broken bones and other injuries suffered by birds.
• Urge its suppliers to adopt better practices, including improved lighting, lower stocking density and ammonia levels, and a phaseout of growth-promoting drugs and breeding practices that painfully cripple chickens.
• Form an animal welfare advisory panel to monitor the changes and recommend further advancements.