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Introducing NHR Cartoons!

Posted in Interviews with tags , , , , , on June 21, 2012 by rumpydog

Oh Dog! I am so honored to introduce you to my guest today! Nic is a cartoonist whose ‘toons address animal welfare issues. I first ran across his work when a friend shared some of his work on Facebook. I checked out his page, liked what I saw, and asked for an interview. I think you’ll like what Nic has to say, so give him a warm welcome!

 

Rumpy: Thanks so much for being my guest today!

Nic: Hi Rumpy! Thanks, Im honoured to be a part of your cool blog.

Rumpy:  So can you tell us about your work?

Nic:  I can always remember drawing as a child, especially dogs! We always had dogs growing up, oh and a feral cat we adopted called “fluffy”. Just got back into cartooning about 2 years ago and I see that I’m slowly improving. Its a lot of fun, you can really get lost in the drawing at times! I really despise animal cruelty of all forms and I hope that by drawing these cartoons about animal welfare it will help people become aware of just how badly animals are treated.

Rumpy: And are all your cartoons about dogs?

Nic:  Whilst companion animals are my favorite animal that I like to promote, it goes alot further,the factory farming of pigs, lamb, chickens is horrific. The dairy and beef industry suffering is shocking and people need to be made aware of this and hopefully make compassionate choices. The way the world is at the moment I will never run out of material unfortunately, but I will continue to make people aware of the animals plight.

Rumpy: Well I for one hope you draw your way out of material! So tell me about your family!

Nic: My wife and I are proud parents of a big boofy rottie called “Maverick”

Rumpy:  Now that is one cool dude!  OK, one last question for fun. If you was a dinosaur, what kind would you be?

Nic: Dinosaur? Hmmmm? I’m a large, some say imposing type of figure, maybe a friendly T-rex…lol

Rumpy: woo woo woo! Thanks again Nic! And keep up the great work!

Nic: End interview  “click”   lol.

You can check out Nic’s work at Red Bubble and his Zazzle store.

And don’t forget to check out his Facebook page!

31 Comments »

June Buggie’s Rundown of the Candidates

Posted in June Buggie Rants! with tags , , , , , , on February 20, 2012 by rumpydog

MEOW! My name is June Buggie and I have something to say.

So today is Presidents Day here in the US- a holiday set aside to recognize those who have served as our leader.  I thought that since this is an election year, today would be a good day to discuss the records of the candidates who seek to be our next president.

I am NOT endorsing a candidate, but I AM here to talk about the record of these candidates when it comes to standing up for us animals.

First, let’s discuss the dismal record of our current president in regards to humane issues.

  1. Obama allowed wolves to be removed as a Protected Species.  Gee thanks, Obama, now the bloodthirsty Palins of the country can kill wolves with abandon and pose with their dead bodies.
  2. Obama has refused to list polar bears as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act.  They are listed as Threatened, but the truth is that the melting of the Polar Ice Cap is taking away their habit, and as a result, there are now only about 25,000 of the bears left worldwide.  The U.S. Geological Survey projects that two-thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050.  BTW, did you know that Canada still allows around 500 polar bears to be hunted per year?
  3. In November, Obama signed a spending bill that allows for horse slaughter plants to proceed in the US.  Well, I guess we should be pleased the poor horses don’t spend the end of their lives in cramped conditions being shipped to other countries to face slaughter.  You DO know that’s how many of those race horses you cheer for end their lives- right?

For more information on the Obama administration’s record on animal issues in the past year, click here.

As for the contenders for the Republican candidate for president, is there ANYBODY that isn’t aware of Mitt Romney‘s escapades with the family dog Seamus?  If you aren’t, you can find out about it here.  And he has yet to offer any sort of apology for his behavior.

On the other hand, Rick Santorum is a strong advocate for animal rights.   When in the senate, he teamed with senators Dick Durbin and Arlen Specter to attempt to pass the Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005 (PAWS).  The law would have ensured proper care and nourishment of animals by their breeders.  If the bill had passed, puppy mills could have been rightfully modified and possibly eliminated.

Of course, Newt Gingrich never misses a photo op with an animal (have you heard of his visiting zoos?).  But his voting record during his years in the House was not too good ( 21% according to votesmart.org).

Finally, Ron Paul earned a big ZERO by the HSUS for his voting record in the animal rights arena.

Let me add that the ones who have the final say on how ANY elected official votes on the issues are the people who vote them into (or out of) office.  That’s why it’s important for you humans to speak up and let your legislators know where you want them to stand on the issues.

Happy Presidents Day everybody.

MEOW!

25 Comments »

June Buggie Raps!

Posted in June Buggie Rants! with tags , , , , on February 17, 2012 by rumpydog

Meow!  My name is June Buggie, and I have something to say.


Check it out! I am a kitty
Who always speaks his mind.
I give the low-down on the state
of being for my kind.

My calling is to school ya
‘Bout how to treat us good,
And ’bout how nice our lives could be
If you’d do what ya should.

So listen up you people,
Let June Bug have his say,
Cuz I’ll keep ranting ’bout our rights
Until things go our way.

Meow!

39 Comments »

June Buggie Rants about Snapperfest!

Posted in pets with tags , , , , on January 24, 2012 by rumpydog

Meow! My name is June Buggie and I have something to say.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund has filed a petition to stop Indiana’s Snapperfest from continuing.

from animalspot.net

What, dear readers, is Snapperfest? Well here is some of the practices identified by ALDF as taking place during this so-called ‘family-friendly’ festival:

  • Turtles held by their tails, which can cause severe damage to their vertebra and internal organs.
  • Turtles repeatedly dropped and thrown to the ground during relays in which contestants run while carrying them.
  • Turtles’ heads pulled out of their shells and turtles held up by their heads during the “main event.” Footage shows contestants violently wrestling on the ground with terrified turtles in an effort to pull their necks out of their shells.

(These actions are a violation of Indiana law; they are a class A misdemeanor.)

Really? Is this YOUR family’s idea of a good time? If so, you’re definitely not reading the right blog.

If you live in Indiana, please contact your legislators and ask them to stop the insanity (in a nice way, of course).

And for the rest of you, keep talking about the cruelty of Snapperfest so we can make sure this festival never happens again.

MEOW!

57 Comments »

June Buggie Rants!

Posted in pets with tags , , , , , , , , , on December 28, 2011 by rumpydog

Meow! My name is June Buggie and I have something to say!

It’s been a tough year for those in the trenches fighting for the well-being of us animals, but lots of good work has been done.  According to a study commissioned by Tom’s of Maine, animal welfare is the number-one cause for volunteerism in America.

from USA Today

Today I’m going to touch on just some of the great things advocates have been doing.

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The ASPCA helped rescue animals after the devastating tornadoes in Joplin and Hurricane Irene.  Think about how much man-hours and money is needed to find, feed, and provide medical care for these animals while helping humans find their pets.  It’s nothing less than amazing.

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Mercy for Animals has gained the attention of the news media and corporations  by going undercover to expose abusive factory farm practices.  These investigations include the E6 Cattle Company in Texas, Iowa Select pig factory farm, and Sparboe Egg Farms in Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado.

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Born Free USA and other activist organizations continue to push to make the owning and selling of exotic animals illegal.  On December 22nd Inside Edition ran a story of a legal white tiger for sale in Ohio.  In fact, it’s easier to buy a tiger than it is to adopt a dog or cat!

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The Humane Society of the US profiles its Top 10 Success Stories of 2011, including the end of using chimpanzees for animal testing, ending using animals to test Botox and continuing the fight against puppy mills.

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You know my stance on animal activism- while we need people to rescue and care for strays, ferals, and abused/neglected animals, we also need these people who are working hard to make conditions better for ALL animals.

For those of you who are a part of the solution, I say thank you.  And for those of you that are on the fence post wondering what you can do to help, come back Friday and read Rumpy’s interview with a shelter volunteer.

MEOW!

 

If you’re looking for a link to the BlogPaws Blog Hop, click here.

 

42 Comments »

June Buggie Rants About ‘Faux Fur’!

Posted in pets with tags , , , , , , , , on November 30, 2011 by rumpydog

MEOW! My name is June Buggie and I have something to say!

So you bought this cool coat and are feeling SO GOOD because it’s made with ‘faux fur.’ Oh yeah? Are you sure?

On November 22nd the Humane Society of the US filed a legal petition with the FTC against 11 national retailers for falsely claiming that some fur-trimmed products were fake fur.

Are you kidding me? Isn’t it bad enough that you retailers insist on selling fur to people who KNOW it’s fur? Now you gotta market it to those who don’t WANT to wear it as well?

Who were the companies? Dillard’s, Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Beyond the Rack, ShopBop, Dr. Jays, Revolve Clothing, Gilt Groupe, Ssense, Summit Sports and Yoox. The brands included Marc by Marc Jacobs, Elizabeth and James by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Mark + James by Badgley Mischka, Crown Holder, Mackage, and Woolrich.

Now I know what you’re thinking- this is all China’s fault! They mislabel EVERYTHING! Well that is true in some but not ALL of the cases. For example, in one case the clothing label identified the fur as coyote, but the company selling the item claimed it was faux fur (according to a Wall Street Journal blog post).

If you bought a ‘faux fur’ product and now you’re wondering if it’s a FAKE fake, you can check out this StyleCaster article for tips on how to tell.

And in the future, if you don’t want to wear real animal fur, then you probably shouldn’t buy the fake stuff either.

MEOW!

31 Comments »

June Buggie Rants- about YOU!

Posted in pets with tags , , , , , , , , , on November 16, 2011 by rumpydog

MEOW! My name is June Buggie and I have something to say!

Oh I am so hissing mad! At who? Well it might be you!

Do you hate PETA because they kill animals? Do you hate the Humane Society of the United States because they don’t send money to local shelters? Have you been told that HSUS supports Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)?

Then you may have been duped by a lobbyist organization that is believed to be backed by the animal breeder industry. They’re headed by a guy named Rick Berman, also known as Dr. Evil. Not heard of him? Then take about 15 minutes and educate yourself.

60 Minutes interview with Rick Berman.

Among the non-profit organizations he fronts are Humane Watch (which claims to keep an eye on HSUS) and the Center for Consumer Freedom. These groups claim to enlighten us with the truth about Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the obesity epidemic, the animal rights community and Unions, among others. They also funnel alot of money to their founder- Rick Berman. Hmmmm…. wonder where that money comes from? Oh yeah, he won’t tell you, and because these are non-profits, he doesn’t have to.

But don’t take my word for it. You can Google, so do your own homework!

You better, because the next time you come snooping around my blog with these so-called “facts” about the Humane Society supporting BSL (to learn their actual stance, read THIS), you best have evidence in hand. This little kitty is not interested in hearsay.

And I’m not real happy with those of you that have fallen for it.

You got that? MEOW!!!!

55 Comments »

June Buggie Rants About PETA!

Posted in pets with tags , , , , , , , on November 2, 2011 by rumpydog

MEOW! My name is June Buggie, and I have something to say!

Dear PETA, what in the WORLD are you thinking?

I guess it isn’t enough that you use cheap tricks like getting famous people to pose nude and making fun of fat women on billboards in order to get your message across. Now you’ve decided that you’re going to launch a pornography web site in December to help you spread the message about the cruelty of factory farms and to promote vegetarianism.

Really? Porn promotes animal rights? Yeah…. sure it does!

On your web site you say that you use “controversial tactics” and nudity because it gets you free publicity to your cause. Granted, you’re right about that.

But mostly it makes you look like you’re a big joke. Which wouldn’t be so bad except when you look stupid, you make the Animal Rights Movement look stupid. HISSSSSSS!!!!!!!

And why are you always dissing women anyway? Don’t you know that women vote in greater numbers than men? Women are the primary shopper for pets? Women are the primary rescuers of animals? One would think that in light of this one would reach out to women to ensure their cooperation and support of your organization.

Instead you’re offering free pornography, and overwhelmingly pornography is viewed by men. And, interestingly enough, more so by men with conservative political leanings. This is not the way to secure a base of support or reach out to others who may otherwise support your cause.

But it does get you alot of affluent white kids to engage in activities that HURT the movement. You know, like dumping paint on furs. Yeah, I see that tactic has been REALLY effective.

The debasement of women does not help shut down puppy mills. It doesn’t address the pet over-population or unacceptable euthanasia rates. It doesn’t stop dogfighting, pet theft, or the sale of pets to research laboratories.

In fact, the only thing it REALLY seems to do is get attention for PETA.

So, what is it you’re supposedly doing for animals? Cuz I don’t see it happening.

MEOW!

Click on the pic to check out the other great bloggers of Weekend Cat Blogging!

76 Comments »

Dear DeDe!

Posted in pets with tags , , , , , , , on October 23, 2011 by rumpydog

Oh Dog!  Dear DeDe here!

This week since we had no advice questions submitted, I thought I’d start out by dishing a little dirt of my own.  This is a video of Rumpy and June Buggie playing.  Yep, you read that right.  They were playing!  Kevin, you’re gonna LOVE this!

Oh yeah, you two are so BUSTED!

I thought that today it would be a good idea to offer some advice for those of you around the world who wish to become politically active to help animals!

I chose this topic after the tragic occurrence in Ohio in the US this past week.  I won’t go into details; if you want to learn more about what happened, click here.

The bottom line is that tragedies like this need not happen, but it is up to people to get organized and get moving to get legislation passed.  You are up against big money from political action committees (PACS), corporations and non-profit organizations that advocate for specific causes.

So today I’m going to talk about how to write a letter to a politician that will get your message heard.  And before you ask, I researched this online and it seems that the recommendations are uniform for most elected governments.  If your form of government is not elected, you probably need to do some research locally to find out how to be an effective voice for animals.

  1. Want to be heard? Do your homework!  You are more likely to be taken seriously if you know what you’re talking about.  Are you asking for a politician to vote a certain way?  Know what the legislation is about.  Are you asking for legislation to be introduced?  Then be specific about what it is you want and why the law is needed.
  2. Handwritten letters are most effective.  Personally written emails are also good.  Avoid sending in form letters requested by organizations.  While it’s better than nothing, you look more interested in the topic if you take the time to write your own letter in your own words.
  3. Keep it brief.  One page letters are best, but no more than 2 pages are recommended.  Introduce your topic, state the facts, and ask for what you want.  One topic per letter.  If you have several topics you want to address, write a letter for each topic.  And sign your name, address, phone number, and email address.  You need to show the politician you are a constituent.
  4. Stick to the facts.  Do not get emotional.  Puppies in cages making you sad is not going to sway a politician.  Talking about health problems caused from a lack of regular exercise for dogs kept in cages might.
  5. Be formal.  Be polite.  Be positive.  And please don’t ever threaten.  The reasons should be obvious.
  6. Review and rewrite before you send.  Write your letter, then wait awhile and re-read it.  Does it make sense to you?  Would it make sense to someone you don’t know?

If you are interested in supporting pending legislation, check national organizations’ websites for what’s currently being discussed.  Here in the US the Humane Society of the US has a list on their website.  Click here to check it out.

Finally, please don’t feel intimidated or think that one letter won’t make a difference.  Let your voice be heard.  We need you!

And join my fan page, because I need you too!

44 Comments »

June Buggie Rants!

Posted in pets with tags , , , , , , on October 12, 2011 by rumpydog

MEOW! I am June Buggie and I have something to say.

Ya know what you supporters of animal rights need? A charismatic leader.

You need somebody to whip you all into a formidable force for good.

How many of you know who Wayne Pacelle is? No? Didn’t think so. And PETA? That porn website is too far out there even for me! *sigh*

See? There’s so many of you out there that love animals that if we had a charismatic leader to harness that energy and keep you focused, so much good could be done.

So I’ve been looking around for some possible leaders.

I found a web page of celebrities that are animal rights activists. Great folks. Love ‘em. None really spur passion in me though.

So I thought I’d look for a charismatic minister who was also an advocate for animals. I was hoping for one of those prosperity ministers that could tell the world that taking care of animals would lead to economic prosperity. No such luck. *sigh*

Then I decided to look to politicians. *rolls eyes* I confess, I don’t know enough about politicians in other countries to evaluate their possible effectiveness. If you want to see how they’re doing here in the US, click here.

So anyway, I don’t seem to be having any success in finding a leader.

Please tell me that one of you will step up, take the reins and lead this force for good. Don’t make me have to do this myself.

MEOW!

27 Comments »

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