Vegan muscles... Yes, We Can!

Many are the excuses why not to follow a vegan diet and life style, we heard them all, from laziness to... well, mostly they all can get back to that one, the big 'laziness' excuse.

And i do believe it's all about that, leaving our own comfort zone and - oh dear... - suffering the pain of hell just cause we won't be able to taste that 'bacon' again, or join our friends in summer barbecues etc etc... But again, it all boils down to what are our own priorities - 'us' (our own little selfish egotistic bubble with our own pleasures and preferences) or 'us' (and this is where our own bubble become so big that there's space not only for our little petty egos, but for all, as in 'all-is-connected', as in 'your sufferance, my sufferance').
I won't even go in details in this post on how many tasty and jummy and delicious and mouth-watering meat replacements there are out there nowadays, even affordable for somebody like me, that needs to be a math genius every time i go for groceries, trying to balance the pennies in all i'm buying (and no - that's no fun.. but that's how it is now..). And then, of course, still at the supermarket you see a bag of 100 grams of salami, costing, lets say a euro... and next to it the 'veg-salami' that for less grams costs even more... but no matter how broke i am, i live by my choices and that's all i have, my face in the mirror in the morning smiles, instead of puking at me... so i'm fine with that.



But ok, then there's the protein intake excuse that goes along the lines of 'oh, you will never get enough proteins eating a plant-based diet...' and even to this i won't go in details now, cause actually this post was all about how fit and great you can still be following a plant-based diet, that not only will benefit you with healthy results, but will benefit as well the uncountable animals that daily suffer and die cause of our... excuses.

And no, i might not be a super muscle girl at the moment (the gym is the best place where i can focus for that..) but i definitely don't look like as if i'm starving, on the contrary, i got these few kilos extras for the winter months to keep me warm and well-padded in case i fall off my bike ;)
So, have a look at those athletes that are fully vegan and rock their sporty world, maybe ask them where do they get their proteins... ;)
Read more here:  10 Vegan Athletes that prove you don't need meat to compete



Frank Medrano, vegan athlete.. where is he getting his proteins..?? ;)

Nobody should die for an icecream...

please watch this video, it's not graphic...
please at least consider this for a moment...
i don't know what it takes to each one of us to make a change in our life, to me, personally, to see only this few minutes of a clip is enough.
I personally feel immense pain in my heart when i think or see the abuse animals go through for human pleasure. I can't be part of that. It's small my part in this, but as much small as it is it must be there. I can't think that my choices and my actions are part of the hand that torture those animals, part of the kick in the face those poor animals got from these savages, monsters. I can't be part of the hand that holds the scissors that heartlessly cut a tail, like if somebody would just come and cut my arm, no anesthetic, no pity, only pain. (see video in petition HERE)
Walking towards death's doors and getting tortured while walking to my death.
If there's something, someone, that is what the Christians talk about as Jesus, all those animals are. The same way he was walking to his death, the same way those innocents are walking. He got beaten, laughed at, tortured, spit at, no pity for him, till they put him on that cross...slowly left there to die.
To me, all the animals that are tortured and killed by man, to me all of them are what Christians call the Christ. I don't follow any particular religion. I believe in good actions vs bad actions. That's how i go on in life. So i don't know why this particular example came to my mind, maybe my cultural background... No matter this, my point is just a call to you all to open your hearts and feel empathy and compassion for those poor innocent creatures. It's not the easiest way in the beginning, a vegan diet... but the 'Right Thing' has got nothing to do with easy or difficult. I just pray that everyday more and more people find it in their heart to feel and see those animals as equals, cause when you see them as you, and me, and your kids, and your spouse, when you see them like that you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to them.

Please remember that just some years ago people with a different skin colour were used as slaves and treated as those cattle are treated, remember that just few years ago women were burned alive and called witches, only few years ago women couldn't even vote, just few years ago thinking 'gay' was considered an abomination. So keeping this in mind, think that one day, the way we treat our brothers and sisters animals will be seen as something so cruel and primitive as well. The change is in our hearts. Those words might not change you today. But i have to speak them, in the hope that at least they will make a little seed fall in your heart, and one day that seed might be ready and grow into a source of Compassion for All.
God Bless The Animals and keep them away from pain....

Please watch the short clip, and sign this petition on Change:
https://www.change.org/p/got-misery-milk-does-help-end-animal-abuse-in-the-dairy-industry
Thank You...

Talking animals... simply hilarious!

This has to be one of the funniest animals video out there, turn the volume up and enjoy! :)



While speaking out and fighting against animal abuse, it's good to see animals in their own habitat and share a laugh with them, to see how cute they are just give us more inspiration to keep on raising awareness and encourage more people to campaign for them.


Video and audio credits:
"A compilation of excerpts taken from the BBC One show
'Funny Talking Animals - Walk On The Wild Side' and
pieced together by DJ Shamrock for comedic effect.
Images and voice-overs are property of the BBC.
Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' is property of Sony."

Luiz and the octopus: a story of empathy and compassion

Luiz Antonio is a just a small kid, but his moral and understanding have got nothing to do with 'small'. If you were looking for the easier and more down-to-earth explanation of 'why it's good to be a vegetarian', he has the answer :)



I'm personally amazed of the way he clearly and quickly makes the connection between what's on his plate and how it did get there, and if eventually it did get there with pain and suffering.
The empathy this little boy is already showing at such a young age is something mind blowing, not only that - it's something most adults are lacking.

I don't know exactly when the concept of 'selfishness' develops in humans, but most grown ups - even when staring the truth in the eyes - can come out with many many excuses when their 'comfort zone' is threaten. And with this i mean our habits.

There are many habits, some are more harmful than others. Maybe not to us but to other creatures, and that's when the concept of selfishness gets in the way. Most non-vegetarian people have big difficulty in stopping to eat meat and/or fish cause they cannot think of living without the taste of a steak, bacon, turkey etc etc. I used to eat meat (on and off) too, as at that time i still didn't realize the cruelty that lies behind that appealing plate of ... 'whatever was alive before and not anymore'.
But the day came when i found myself watching for the first time a clip on YouTube, where miss Pamela Anderson was explaining what goes behind the scenes at KFC.
At the end of that few minutes clip it was clear to me that i didn't wanna be part of that cruelty cycle no more, and that same day i stopped eating meat for good. That same day i also decided that i had to do something about what i saw, i couldn't just be there, crying my eyes out and do nothing, cause that wouldn't have helped any animals anyway. And that's when my 'Animal Voice' project started.

I wish more people were like sweet Luiz - learning something new, understanding it and acting upon what they just discovered. Breaking old habits that we keep on feeding just out of plain selfishness, cause all meat/fish we'll ever eat started with the killing (you can even call it murdering) of some innocent creature that had a desire to live as much as we all do.

Furthermore, it has been confirmed already that a vegetarian diet is a very healthy choice for humans, especially when thinking the way animals are pumped up with chemicals to fatten them up, and fish is getting no more a good alternative either, considering seas and oceans pollution, radioactivity etc.
Nowadays the alternatives to meat are so many, and so good, in fact there are even experiments being made, where meat alternatives have been served to people expecting to eat meat and not knowing that actually they weren't, and the results are very positive and surprising.
A vegetarian and or/vegan diet is just so good in many ways, for your health, for a cruelty-free lifestyle and for your taste buds...

Wildlife and nuclear power plants: ..when man goes away... nature thrives...

photo by Dr. Sergei Gaschak

Ukraine - April 26th, 1986 - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explodes.
High levels of radioactivity and lots of human and animal casualties followed. The area was evacuated and still today humans are not yet suitable for re-homing it. But now, almost 30 years later, that same place that witnessed much death and destruction seems has had a surprising change of course. Many species are living there, and multiplying... cause eventually, where there's no man... there's more chances of survival for animals and all nature alike.

On April 26, 1986, disaster struck the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine
Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/what-happens-when-wildlife-reclaims-chernobyl#YigOkEaZcMLxmwRx.99

This is quite much of a controversial subject for me, i don't really agree with the way scientists interact and interfere with the local wildlife - i am strongly against any kind of animal testing experiment, and the poor white rats in the documentary will end up in a lab. Also i didn't really enjoy the part where they had to set a trap to catch 'Boy', the wolf - in a nonchalant kind of way they explained that 'the paw caught in the trap didn't seem to have reported any damage' ... what if it did though!
This being said, it's quite interesting to see that after man destroys, nature reclaims. If we continue the way we do, at this rate - between pollution, deforestation, pouching etc - not much will be left to guarantee an healthy standard of life for all earthlings, at least the ones that remain. But it kind of brings some hope to think that eventually, if we'll annihilate ourselves with our greediness and stupidity, nature might have another chance to thrive.
Long live the animals!


LINKS

- Do Animals in Chernobyl's Fall Out Zone Glow?
- Chernobyl's Wildlife Survivors

"Adopt - Don't Shop" ...Abba style :)

This is definitely one of the best 'ADOPT - DON'T SHOP' ads out there!
The people at SPCA Wake County did a great job with this commercial, i hope they can reach as much people as possible with this message, and i hope in general that the concept of adopting from shelters become more and more accepted and integrated into people's lives.
Remember, there are tons of animals waiting for a loving home, animals that are waiting for you in shelters all over the world, and those cats and dogs are just eager to shower you with their unconditional love. These great animals are sitting behind bars for the most different reasons, mostly selfish and lazy excuses.

When people decide to get an animal at home, they should keep very well in mind that it's the same decision as when they decide to have a kid - it's a LIFE LONG COMMITMENT. The same as you wouldn't give away your kid for any reason, the same you shouldn't give away your pets. Do you give away your kids when you move into a new house? or when you have a new baby? or when your boyfriend doesn't really like kids? most humans don't give away their human kids, the same should be for our furry kids. They should always been taken good care of. Animals/pets are not toys. They are living creatures and deserve the respect and care we give to our kin. Especially when they give us SO MUCH. No human left behind, no animals left behind.

Now run! Run to your local shelter and do the best thing you could do for yourself - get the best loving and faithful companion you might ever get! :)

Man - or how does it take only one species to ruin all of the rest...

"The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago... had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands."  ~Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life, 1923

What a Wonderful World....

Have a look at this inspiring video, what a beautiful planet we have... lets take good care of it and of all the amazing living creatures that make it so so special...

Cuteness and the seals

This is how we like our seals - happy and free!
It's so refreshing for once to see a seal-human encounter that is just so sweet... watch the first clip and enjoy the interaction between the divers and the seals, these sweet animals really make me think of the way dogs interact with humans, the love for cuddles, the curiosity and trust... priceless!



This second clip it's a bonus - one more seal cuteness video to cheer up your day :)




These animals are as cute as they are endangered.... man is their most feared predator... if you wanna know more about how to help these gorgeous animals, please visit the following sites:

- Seals Protection Action Group
- Sea Shepherd
- Sea Shepherd - What can you do to help the seals
- HarpSeals

You'll find more links and info in this previous entry at Animal Voice: Canadian Bloody Ice

Sharkwater - the Documentary

"We’re just a conceited naked ape, but in our minds we’re some ‘divine legend’ and we see ourselves as some sort of god, seeing we can decide what will live and what will die, what will be saved and what will be destroyed, but honestly we’re just a bunch of primates out of control."
Paul Watson, Sharkwater

Just after coffee, i found myself signing one more petition against 'shark fin soup'. And then one more. So i said to myself "it's about time to talk some more about those beautiful and misunderstood water creatures". There was already an entry here at Animal Voice where the topic of shark finning had been covered some time ago, there you can still find some good information and useful links (some of the petitions are long closed but when you are interested in signing petitions - on all kind of topics - remember it's as easy as typing on your Google search "shark finning petitions", or "sharks petitions" or anything along that line, where there's a will there's a way so i'm sure the person that is truly interested in helping out will find a way, and remember you can always ask me any info or question and i'll try to be as helpful as i can). To get back to that first entry on shark finning just click this link "Stop Shark Finning" .





What i'd like to introduce you to this time is this great documentary from filmmaker Rob Stewart - SHARKWATER:

"In an effort to protect sharks, Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Their unbelievable adventure together starts with a battle between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala, resulting in pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, forcing them to flee for their lives.
Through it all, Stewart discovers these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth's history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed." (from SHARKWATER)

You can watch the whole documentary "Sharkwater" here:




USEFUL LINKS AND PETITIONS

You can find more info on how to help these intelligent and beautiful creatures clicking through the following links (remember they are just a few links, when you wanna know more there's lots of information available out there, let Google help you in doing your homeworks...):

- Sharkwater - official website
 ( if you have a website, blog etc, you can use one of their banners to promote the documentary, you found them at this link --> http://www.sharkwater.com/banners.htm )
- Sharkwater - Facebook page
- "Stop Shark Finning" @ Animal Voice
- Stop Shark Finning
- Stop Shark Finning - Petitions page
- Stop Shark Finning - Facebook page
- Petition "We want a worldwide shark fin ban"
- Petition "Tell Dubai to stop hunting endangered sharks"
- Sharktrust
- Sea Shepherd

I'm Back! ..wait, actually i never left...

           photo by Kiara Ganesha (aka Animal Voice)

well well well.... it has certainly passed a long time since my last post here, but there's been a reason which i'm sure most of my readers already know - that reason being Animal Voice presence on Facebook....

To summarize it a bit, Animal Voice project started back at the very beginning of 2007, right here where you are now. At that time i still didn't have a profile neither a page on Facebook, back then MySpace was the place to be and that's also where my project had a high level presence and very busy interactions with other fellow animal lovers. For some reasons i opened an account on Facebook at the end of 2008, and soon after Animal Voice page was created. No need to say (now in 2014) that FB definitely was/is helping out a great deal with the famous 'sharing' option. And all of us involved in animal rescue operations well know how fast and wide we can pass information and pleas of help just by clicking that 'share' button. This was the beginning of me spending more time networking for animals on Facebook, and less here.... in any case, to cut a long story a bit shorter... I'm Back! :)

Many many things happened in these almost three years of not posting on these pages, i'm sure in a way or the other i will update you with some of the events that kept me busy meanwhile - and at the same time i'm sure that the ones that kept on following my work on my Facebook page are aware of me being quite busy out there too. Since i created the page on the famous social network, as of today there are more than 8.300 'fans' connected to it, and that's a number i definitely am happy with but that at the same time i surely wanna see increase - much much much - as one of my motto is 'the more for the animals, the better!' I'm sure i won't be able to pass to you in this one post all of the things i got in mind since last time i saw you guys on these pages, but there are many ideas and projects boiling up, lots of stuff i want to do and want to do better as well.... just to name one of the main changes i got in mind, we can talk about the new approach regarding all animal issues we're going to handle:
i'll be trying to look more on the brighter side... with that meaning i will incorporate in my site more 'good feeling' and positive stories as well in order not only to educate but also to inspire more people to act upon what they learn here. I know i tend to be on the 'hard and graphic' side of stuff, but i did and do so cause that has worked for me - for my Big Change.... and since i'm a stubborn person (lets blame it on me being an Aries.... or an hot blooded italian...) i thought the way to go was mostly that one. But ok, even for hot blooded italians time passes and eventually i might have learned a thing or two while being daily busy since the last 7 years with my project Animal Voice and all that is animal rights/rescue/welfare/etc etc....

So - this been said.... welcome back to all of my readers and fellow animal lovers... i actually never left... ;)


PS: ... you see that cute kitty-kat on the photo....? mine... mine... MINE!!! ;)
i'll tell you more about him in the next days, just know i scooped him up from the streets while visiting my family in Italy last year (what a story.. you'll hear all about it!), he was very sick and emaciated.. almost a year ago... now he's my super fantastic AND gorgeous kitty-kat named SAFI :)))