Pink and Cesar Milan Come Together for Puppy Mill Awareness Day

By JR, Special for Diversity News

On Saturday, September 18, 2010 Puppy Mill Awareness Day was presented by Last Chance for Animals at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles from 11:00 am to 3:00pm to support the Adopt, Don’t Shop initiative and bring awareness of the horrific conditions of puppy mills.

Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan spoke at the event encouraging the packed audience to go to shelters and rescues to adopt, rather than buy at pet stores, which get their dogs from puppy mills. There were a variety of cruelty-free vendors and booths including vegan food booths and Humane education booths, various speakers, a silent auction, face painting and music with a highlighted performance by The Faded whose music is heard in the award-winning documentary Skin Trade. Celebrities in attendance were Musicians Pink, Poison’s Rikki Rocket, Fawn, Lord’s of Acid vocalist Lacey Conner and Actress Michelle Forbes. Also in attendance were undercover investigator Bryan Monell, director Shannon Keith, animal advocates Kim Sill and Jack Carone, LCA Board President Carol Araneo, West Hollywood City Council Member Jeffrey Prang, Last Chance for Animals Founder and CEO Chris DeRose, Humane Society’s Dale Bartlett, SPCA ‘s Madeline Bernstein and Animal Acres Representative and actress Ciddy Fonteboa. The event was launched to create awareness against puppy mills which are appalling places for dogs to survive. In the puppy mills, they are bred over and over for pet stores. On her twitter page, Pink made a series of tweets about her experience at the event, saying “It’s puppy mill awareness day and I just got back from the incredible event at La Brea Tar Pits. No more puppy mills!!” “Puppy mills are awful, filthy, cruel places where dogs never see daylight, sleep in their own feces, and r (are) bred over n (and) over for pet stores. Boycott pet stores people!!!!”  She has asked her fans to boycott pet stores. About Last Chance for Animals: Last Chance for Animals (LCA) recognizes that animals have the ability to experience pain, and as such they deserve certain basic rights protecting them from pain caused by humans. LCA believes that non-human animals should not be subjected to suffering and exploitation by humans because alternatives exist for nearly every traditional “usage” of animals. LCA opposes the use of animals for scientific curiosity, entertainment, clothing, and food. LCA recognizes the use of non-human animals in medical experimentation as both immoral and of questionable scientific validity due to the tremendous biological difference between species. LCA’s work advocates conscious and informed lifestyle decisions, and the organization is committed to disseminating truthful information about societal animal abuse to improve the treatment of animals. To find out more about the issue, stop by BanPuppyMills.com.

Editor’s Note: We are very glad the musicians like Pink are involved in great causes in helping animals.

Fundraisers Help ARME To Eliminate Animal Suffering‏

By JR, Special for Diversity News  

Two fundraisers benefiting ARME (Animal Rescue, Media and Education) were held last week in the Los Angeles, CA area.

On Thursday July 22, 2010 the Veggie Grill in West Hollywood gave 50% of their food sales to Arme and on Sunday July 25, 2010 there was a sale at the Beverly Grand Hotel in North Hollywood, with 15% of proceeds benefiting the foundation.  

Arme was founded by award-winning Director and animal rights lawyer Shannon Keith. Shannon has recently won some impressive accolades for her Documentary “Skin Trade.” (1st Place Best Documentary LA Movie Awards, 1st Place Best Director LA Movie Awards, The Indie Fest: Award of Merit: Feature Documentary and 2010 Critical Animal Studies Awards-Critical Animal Studies Media Of The Year). 


The mission of ARME is to eliminate the suffering of all animals. ARME rescues unwanted and homeless animals as well as educates the public about the vast extent of suffering endured in our society.  Through it’s actions and words, ARME advances the freedom of all animals.

To find out more about getting involved with ARME go to http://www.arme.tv

Editor’s Note: Congratulations to this group for speaking up on behalf of the animals.
Photos (C) 2010 FFD Images for Diversity News. All Rights Are Reserved.

Skin Trade DocuFilm Exposes What Fashion Really Costs

By: Songirl Sez, special story for Diversity News

The unprecedented documentary film “Skin Trade” made its red carpet Hollywood Debut on Thursday night, February 25, 2010 on the Paramount Pictures Lot. Produced by John Feldman and Ramy Hassan and Directed By Shannon Keith, the documentary film examines and exposes the fur trade industry and it’s unsuspecting customers.

The docufilm uncovers the shocking and disturbing reality of how animals are brutally, tortured, trapped and skinned alive all for the sake of fashion. It takes an honest and historical look inside the dark world of how fur is acquired and how glamour drives this demand and hides the ugly truth in the process.

Despite great attempts in recent years and much progress in helping people understand the origins of fur and the way it is made, contemporary culture still has an accepted attitude of cruelty, disregard and indifference when it comes to fur as a fashion statement. Although the documentary’s images are unsettling and devastating, one of the biggest bombshells was revealed about supposedly fur-friendly “faux fur.” It was uncovered that a large percentage of “Faux Fur” products use dog and cat fur to increase profits. (By the way, that’s murdered and skinned dogs and cats, folks-not just their hair shaved off). Consumers are also being misled by retailers who assure them that animals used for fur coats and such are humanely euthanized, intentionally hiding the truth of how the animals are gruesomely killed. Although this docufilm is not easy to watch, it is necessary and important to expose the truth about this unnecessary cruelty and torture. After viewing this documentary by Uncaged Films, a person has to ask themselves, what does fur lined fashion REALLY cost? To this, the answer is clear: integrity, dignity, compassion and a piece of our soul.

Supporters in Attendance: James Cromwell (Spiderman/Six Feet under), Debra Skelton (Family Guy/MadTV), Rory Freedman (Author NY Times Bestseller), Robin Torme’, Fawn (Hit singer/songwriter), Suzanna Urzuly (Actress/Model), Stephen Wozniak (Beyond The Da Vinci Code), Lacey Connor (Charm School/Rock Of Love), The Faded, Daisy De La Hoya (Rock Of Love/Daisy Of Love), Elaine Hendrix, Zoli Teglas (Pennywise), John Feldmann (Goldfinger), Ashley Paige (Fashion Designer), Gene Blalock (Composer), Synthian Sharp (Activist Rapper) and many others.

For more information about the movie visit http://www.skintradethemovie.com/


 © Photos courtesy of FFD Images, Cyndee Arroyo and Maxim Maximov