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How it is possible that we are going to allow a mink farm in Nova Scotia? How is it possible that we still kill animals for their fur? Holy fuck.
—Killing them for fashion is disgusting.
This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2009.
80 Comments
We already have mink farms
There’s a mink farm in ns? 🙁 that makes me sad.
killing animals in general is not wrong?!?!?
I like my steak thank you very much and I’m pretty sure the cow isn’t going to just offer it up. Perhaps killing animals in front of young schoolchildren is wrong… but not so much in a butchery.
Mink is a huge industry in Nova Scotia– about 60 farms. There’s also a small fox industry. Together, they are responsible for something like 20 percent (airc) of all NS ag income.
The Indians had to eat something all those thousands of years before they were introduced to beef wellington and corn-beef/cabbage.
doncha mean smallpox
and let’s not forget the chinchillas farm,the other side of windsor. killing animals, unless for food is just stupid. but then if that is true, where would you get your nice leather jackets from. or how about your shoes.but i do agree, that killing just for the hide is not good for anyone, cept maybe the owners of a tanning co.
Who the fuck cares? This has been going on for years. People are trying to make a living. Sick an fucking tired of all these tree huggers telling us what we should and should not do.
I don’t really give a crap about the fur farms if they’re following the correct guidelines for humane treatment. I do give a crap about the shoddy waste disposal of some of them. Those carcasses could be used for pet food or fertilizer, piling them to rot is a lousy waste.
I agree Swamp Donkey. Fur isn’t for me, but if people want to buy it I can’t fault a guy for producing it. People can use and consume animals and be humane, respectful and not wasteful at the same time.
I agree with Miles. My compromise is that I don’t eat veal or lamb (baby animals), I buy free-range meat, and I only hunt/fish to provide food. I am not disrespectful or wasteful.
Whah!! Whah!! Whah!! People are still doing the same thing they’ve been doing for thousands of years!! Whah! Whah!!
Cry me a river you sandal-wearing, granola-eating, tree-hugging, BO-smelling hippy!! People like you are just as bad as the people you claim to hate. You’re narrow-minded, petty people with nothing better to do than whine about some poor little minks that are being FARMED for their fur! It’s an sustainable industry here in NS and as others have pointed out, it’s a rather large one. How about you complain about the deforestation of NS next time, even though we have one of the best sustainability programs in place here.
Killing animals for their fur is wrong but killing them for their flesh is right? It’s still killing, no matter the reason, is it not?
All animals are created equal but some are more equal than others it seems.
Well, killing for fur means lots of waste (the rest of the animal) for the return of something that is not essential (given synthetic fibers) and purely cosmetic. Killing animals for food is less wasteful (even the hides can be used for leather goods) and the return is food, clothing, and jello.
Always brown the mink on the BBQ, or a cast iron pan before you place it in the slow cooker.
All animals are not created equal–it’s called the Food Chain.
paingirl – doncha isn’t a word.
Man, I could sure use a seal skin jacket around here lately.
I had the sickest little mink hat when I was 6 … guess I’m going to hell. And what makes everyone so sure that animals wouldn’t kill US if they had the chance … just sayin’.
Animals are more afraid of us than we are of them, hellakitty.
And after many thousands of years since humans have been on the planet (about 40,000 maybe), I think the animals would have given your idea a chance by now. But they haven’t.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm…jello:)
Sorry Ocean Lady = (
Gelatin is a protein, made from the hydrolysis of collagen, a protein that makes up about a third of all mammalian tissue. Collagen is what makes up much of the connective tissue, tendons, and the protein part of bones.
Gelatin is very familiar as the gelling agent in Jell-O desserts. It is also used to thicken yogurt, sour cream, and ice creams, and is dried to form the dissolvable plastic capsules that make medicines easier to swallow.
Gelatin is the binder that makes marshmallows possible, and is also what makes gummy bear candies gummy.
I hate to be a party pooper but every time you wash your hands you KILL several thousand if not several million forms of life. Maybe killing is wrong if what you kill actually bleeds? Maybe killing is just not wrong and simply a fact of life. Kill or be killed?
In 2000 in Nova Scotia, 60 mink farms produced over 650,000 pelts for the year, according to an article I just read. Looks like you missed the boat on this bitch!
If she’s playing nice, it would probably be better to leave her alone, Nice Goin’ Fat.
I can ignore Fat without any help from you HKM. Why don’t you just mind your own dam business?
OMG fur iss likk sooooo bad pleez dont kill teh cute littal anamals!!!!!! thats horrable!!!!! minks r cute
sorry fat i just noticed your post…yes i am well aware that doncha is not a word…i assume your kiddin(not a real word)
I see another 100+ post bitch (with about 75 of those posts completely unrelated to the original bitch) coming on here. You can guess what the other 75 posts will be about…
Good Kay, now ignore me too, and you will do just fine = )
I always knew Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone were evil with their racoon skin caps. LOL. I wonder how quick the OB would skin a mink if it meant survival.
“Why don’t you just mind your own dam business?”
A dam is something beavers build. I believe you mean ‘damn’.
Maybe kay is a beaver. Mystery solved! No dirty comments.
Tim, you were friends with Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, do you know how to make a beaver hat? (Minus the mercury of course…Kay already resembles the madhatter)
HKM: There’s some awfully lovely free range veal available at the Farmer’s Market. :9
I think that is what is called a Freudian Slip. kay subconciously looking for some beaver.
For real? What’s the point of that? Free range means the animal had some kind of like before it was slaughtered. A free range baby animal means it just got its first taste of clover and wham!
I decided not to eat babies because it seems wasteful to take a life for such a small amount of food. I mean, a steer, full grown, will feed a lot of people.
I wonder if cows, pigs, lamb, chickens, etc. know what their purpose is and what is eventually going to happen to them. Does a cow ever ponder and think about its life, or does he just think “damn this grass is good.”
HKM: yeah, but there’s also the amount of resources used to make it that big. And if the steer was free range it had a nice life going on before WHAMMO so. I’ll still be munching on my scallopini. 😀
Tim, doubt it…she seems to hate women.
Oooooh! I get it. Kind of like the ‘Silence of the Lambs’ guy who stalked, held captive and cut up women–he coveted what he saw.
WATCH YOUR BACK, OCEANLADY! (Literally)
SwampDonkey, scallopini, Mmmmm. That’s why it’s called a sacrifice = (
(Not the baby cow, a sacrifice for me)
I don’t hate women and I don’t think cows were made to please human beings despite the fact that they give me great pleasure… leather, dinner, milk… don’t get me started
mmm scallopini.. quite possibly the world’s most perfect food
you got me started.
Regardless if mink farms have been in Nova Scotia for years, it’s still wrong. How can anyone say they’re an animal lover and then turn around eat one? Or wear one? Call me a tree hugger if you will but if we can live without inflicting pain on something much more defenseless than we are, why wouldn’t you? Why would you choose to support industries that torture animals? And don’t say it’s done humanly because the fact is, people are not always around to witness the way things are done. So you cannot say that it is done humanly 100% of the time. Also, if I decided to take your infant daughter, lock her in a cage and then kill her in a human way so that I could have her hair made into a hat, it wouldn’t matter two shits to you if I had done it in a human way. A couple of bitches ago, a person came on here talking about their neighbors neglecting their cat and dog and you people were so disgusted and couldn’t believe someone would do that to an animal. What makes a mink (or a cow, or pig or chicken) any different? Because you don’t see them on a daily basis? Because you don’t have one in your home? They are still animals, they still feel pain and they still need your protection from people who are out to hurt them. Everyone is all for equal rights for different races of humans, but not different species of animals. It makes no sense to me.
Farming animals and agriculture is quite literally one of the things that started civilization as we know it. Because we can, I think modern human beings should strive to do it well. But to think we should not eat meat or kill to survive is, well, quite stupid IMO.
We also orignally executed people by them being “hanged, drawn and quartered.” Which means they were dragged to the place of execution, and hung until they ALMOST died. Then they were disembowelled and had their organs burned in front of them. Finally, they were them beheaded, and cut into pieces. So, Kay, since that’s the way civilization started, why don’t we bring that back? Hell, it’s only been within the past 100 years that women have been allowed to vote and work and have opinions. But we should take all that away, because that’s how civilization started.
Everything you said is beyond moronic. Just because things use to be one way, doesn’t mean that they should never change. If we have the ability to change things for the better, we should. I cannot get over how fucking stupid your post was. I hope you never reproduce.
Torture animals? I’ll admit that factory farming is a disturbing sight, but you can farm ethically and humanely. Also, you can kill an animal fairly painlessly as well (Kosher and Halal practices).
If you consider all life to be equal, then that includes human life. So, if it is not OK for humans to kill animals for food, how is it OK for animals to kill other animals for food? If you think there is a difference between these two scenarios, then you are acknowledging that humans and animals are NOT equal and that opens up all kinds of discussions about how we should deal with that inequality. But don’t kid yourself, all life is not the same.
No, all life is not the same. But does that mean we shouldn’t try to protect it? And where do we draw the line? If you’re going to kill animals for food, why not fashion and sport? What is the difference? Not even all human life is the same. People will feel much more upset over a child being beaten up than an adult. Because the child is basically helpless and so is the animal. Also, humans have conscience whereas animals don’t. So animals kill each other and they don’t think about the suffering they are inflicting on other animals. It’s instinct. We are intelligent beings and able to understand that we’re causing something to suffer. There’s a difference. Also, the only reason why we are still killing animals is for our own selfish wants. We can survive without eating meat, without wearing fur and without those deer antlers on our walls.
Also Kay, animals are the only form of life that have a central nervous system and as far as we know, the only living organisms that have any self awareness, and are capable of suffering and experiencing emotion.
I’ve got a pretty big garden, and grow lots of veggies and fruits. It’s great making big salads and such. But let me tell ya, preparing the soil, protecting the plants, harvesting the produce, we’re killing all sorts of animals. The slug count alone from harvesting lettuce is in the hundreds. Then there’s millions upon millions of aphids, caterpillars, shrews, all sorts of things. A couple of years ago, I chased a god damn deer out of the yard with a stick, and you can bet had I caught that fucker I would’ve whacked him dead, and cooked up the meat that night. But even though I didn’t, all of us, by the very fact of our existence, are depriving all sorts of creatures of ecosystem they could use to survive.
Life is death. No way around it.
“Everyone is all for equal rights for different races of humans, but not different species of animals. It makes no sense to me.”
Based on your last response to me it seems it should make sense to you.
Also based on that response I say you make some good points worth discussing. My point here is that humans have power over animals. With that power comes responsibility. We can raise and care for and eat animals ethically and responsibly. Because animals are different from us and each other we can make informed decisions about how ethical it is to farm them or hunt them or eat them or keep them as pets. Death is a very natural part of life, and I don’t see how raising an animal in a humane way and then killing it for some purpose is ethically irresponsible. Just because we CAN survive without meat or furs or pets, doesn’t mean we should HAVE to.
nda, don’t you think it matters WHY we do what we do? Is it “selfish” to feed a family? Is fashion and sport “selfish”? Tell that to an Eskimo hunter when he brings home the biggest. We could argue the industries make good use of the resource and contributes to the overall well being of human beings.
If I were you, nda, I’d be looking at the environmental impact farming of all kinds, but especially chickens, has on the freshwater of the world. There’s a much bigger argument to help support the vegan lifestyle. Check out the origins of the sacred cow too. You’re on to something.
And, nda, we do sacrifice human life to enable our continued existence.
Earth to nda, Earth to nda, do you actually believe humans and animals are equal? If you do, I can bust that notion very easily. Two animals are drowning and you can save only one. Which one do you save? The family pet or your baby? Remember according to you animals and humans are equal?
I can’t sleep after seeing “kay” and “beaver” in the same bitch. Oh the nightmares caused by an imaginary ” ‘s ” at the end of the first word 🙂
Vegetarians have survived quite nicely for years without eating the flesh of any dead animals. Eating dead animals is not necessary for survival.
Thank you Oceanlady.
Bro Tim, if you read my last comment I specifically say “No, all life is not the same.”
Miles, no it doesn’t mean we have to, it means we should because we have a conscience. Also, in regards to my comment about equal rights, I’m not saying that humans and animals are are equal. What I’m saying is that all humans should be equal. And all animals should be equal. We should prefer to save one animal because its cute.
Tim Bousquet, slugs and worms and insect do not feel pain and emotion in the same way as animals (and reptiles for that matter do.) This is probably the least scientific articical I could find about it: http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2009/09/02/…
Kay, your comment is still stupid. Yes, it is selfish to kill an animal to feed a family when you don’t have to. And yes, killing for fashion and sport is selfish, regardless of any “reason” you can come up with. No matter what, you’re are doing those things because you WANT to, not because you NEED to. There is no longer a need for that sort of thing because of science. If I were you Kay (thankfully I’m not) I would look into the enviromental effects killing animals has. Do you know how many ecosystems we have screwed up? Do you know how much methane gas is produced by cows (that are being bred and raised for meat, clothing and milk)? Do you have any idea how that gas is contributing to climate change?
As much as I would like all of you to turn vegetarian (or vegan), its just not going to happen by arguing about this on a message board. We could go on forever.
OMG nda, you’re almost as obtuse as I am! Listen, you just take a trip up North and speak with the natives there about what is required to survive and be sure to comment on their “fashion”. When you get back, ask yourself, what does an infant eat and why? If you’re still unconvinced pop over for an African Safari then realize how very very tiny your vegan world is… and why.
nda, “slugs and worms and insect do not feel pain and emotion in the same way as animals”
Prove it. Some would argue plants feel pain and emotion. Your pseudo-science isn’t going to cut it on LLWWB
nda, I don’t think anyone said that they were not vegan conscious–mostly it appears that they don’t think that using animals for food is murder. Although I do eat meat, I also opt to eat meat substitutes.
As well, I grew up on a farm, so I have had to slaughter animals for food. Until that day, we took very good care of our animals. We were respectful and kind to our animals, but generally we did not project our own human feelings and emotions onto the animals. We also advocated against cruelty towards animals, and we often rescued animals. In other words, we were practical but aware.
I will give an example:
We became aware that horses were being impregnated and forced to stand day and night in one space while their urine was collected for hormones to make birth control and help ease menopause. The mares were catheterized, and their babies, when born, were piled up behind the barns while still alive. We were not protesting the collection of urine (except by catheterization), we were protesting the mistreatment of the animals. We, as farmers, knew that there was a distinct difference between raising animals and mass producing animals without care and respect for their life.
“You don’t win friends with salad! You don’t win friends with salad!”
62 comments and this doesn’t pop into anyone’s head? I’m disappointed in the lot of you.
My sentiments exactly HKM. I think growing up on farms is a great way to get back to realizing our real relationship with animals. I find the dissociation with our food supply that urban living affords makes people go to the extremes….either they don’t care where their food comes from, or they care too much.
I can’t stand vegans who try to push that lifestyle on people. They’re up there with extreme religious people and non smokers.
Btw, I’m a vegetarian. Not vegan. And I still eat seafood. I also eat locally grown organic veggies as well.
That being said, thinking about animals being killed still makes me sad. But it doesn’t matter the circumstance. I get sad when I see road kill. That’s not why I’m a vegetarian though. I feel healthier. But I have no real problem eating meat, so long as I don’t think about it.
WRONG in my opinion is the religious leaders fornicating with children…THAT”S WRONG. Fur farming is BUSINESS, & just for those of you too dense to realise it, these animals would never have existed without the farmer in the first place. For those that do exist in the wild, they rarely live as long, nor do they live as well fed & cared for as they do at the farm !
Everything living is goin gto die anyway…as long as they aren’t being tortured & abused, I fail to see any problem.
A good point, More. Animals in the wild who die due to sickness, starvation and other animals do not die easily or quickly. As well, hunting not only provides food, but it prevents wild animals from overpopulating to the point that they become destructive (as Tim pointed out). This is why hunting regulations include bag limits–they fluxuate according to each species population rate for that year.
I will eat anything I can’t have a conversation with. Any animal that is on the menu is not going to be in danger of extinction.
If polar bear and spotted owl tasted good they’d be better off – just sayin!
LL, I hope you talk to your cat.
Good point, lovinglife, but not necessarily true. Wild salmon is almost to the point of extinction in Nova Scotia.
Miles, sometimes you are too funny = )
People often find that they can’t converse with each other either. Should we worry, lovinglife?
HKM , I remember wading into this debate at a different forum awhile back. At that time I did research on the how’s & why’s , etc. involved in ‘fur farming’. It’s not as if farmers are going out & getting their ‘stock’ from the wild population. They breed them selectively & insure a much higher survival of pups that are born. Without the ‘farmer’ these animals would never have existed in the first place, you want to rage against animal abuses,then rage against feed lots, rage against chicken factories where tens of thousands of birds are crammed into cages without room to turn around.
I may have no problem with eating meat or wearing fur , leather or other animal products. I at least buy locally raised beef & free range chickens from farmers out here in the country as well as buying my eggs from a woman down the road, where you have to be careful when you pull into her home, so you don’t kill any chickens that are wandering about her property.
There are IMO areas of concern in animal husbandry in our country, but that doesn’t mean we should stop all of it. Instead we should all work to favor the slightly more expensive ‘free range’ philosophy ,to better the quality of life for the animals concerned.
Unfortunately, Free range isn’t going to cut it in the long run either though. To meet the demands for meat for the current population would mean cutting down even more forests for pastureland and chickens to roam. Now, here’s my crazy idea, so hear me out. 2 words: Vertical. Farming. That’s right folks, condo’s for chickens. Large, spacous, dirt-filled, full spectrum artificial light, multi-level apartment building sized barns for animals. Why grow out, when you can grow up?
Or we could eat less meat
I actually considered pointing out the difference between wild and domesticated animals, but I was too lazy = p
My brothers worked at chicken farms (meat and egg producers), which is probably why we started stocking our own poultry. By the way, we also raised pheasants, at our own expense, in order to re-populate their declining numbers in the wild.
Chicken apartments? I guess you have never stepped into a chicken single house dwelling (coop)–the fumes (ammonia) can knock you over!
“Or we could eat less meat”
Which is why I also eat meat substitutes (red beans and rice, channa masala (chole), etc.).
No, I’m talking about ethical and human multi-story farming. Like this:
http://www.verticalfarm.com/
But I think eating less meat is a good way to go too.
I have actually heard the term “vertical farming’ before, but I have never read up on it. It is interesting and very exciting. I mean, the potential benefits, outside of food production, impact the world (as a whole) on so many levels (alleviating world hunger and reduction of pollution being only two worthy benefits). In a quick cross-reference, outside of cost and the use of prime habitation space, I didn’t find many cons.
I think an idea such as this has always been in the back of peoples minds but as a futuristic end-of-the-world solution rather than a preventive one.
Way cool!
I don’t think I want to live in a world where I cannot eat lamb.
that would be a cruel and cold world where Greek food was nary available.
makes me sad.
Me and my cat have great conversations, but I will admit he is more of a listener than a talker.
As long as the animals are being treated humanely there’s nothing wrong with farming them for fashion. I hope you’re not one of those animal activists that shits themselves everytime a baby seal is “murdered” but doesn’t bat an eyelash when people are slaughtered.
When it comes to animals the minute they get higher on the food chain than me – then I’ll begin to worry about it
It’s a common misconception that you cannot be both an animal and human rights activist. You CAN be both.
And virgomom, you aren’t TECHNICALLY a vegetarian if you eat fish. Just sayin’.