15
Dec
Biffy’s Charity Suggestions
Namaste, Salaam, Sussreekall, Bonjour, Hola, Merhaba, and RootietootootHello to all of you Beautiful People!!! As promised, here is my “Starter” list of Charity suggestions for your “Holiday Gift Giving” (ie: make a donation in your intended-recipient’s name!) Now don’t give me any guff about not including YOUR favorite charity! I have a better idea: SHARE YOUR IDEAS AND ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION SO EVERYONE CAN READ THEM!!! YAY! Let’s ALL make suggestions!!! My list is intended to START the ball rolling on ideas. I’ve included a photograph from last year, of my Nicklas and his late wife, Sri Annastasia, at their favorite spot: Spanish Banks, Vancouver.
As you can see, Anna has a shaved back due to her sixth spinal-surgery.
I chose this photo to demonstrate how fortunate I am: affording surgery on my babydog (which a lot of people cant- so I’ve included a lot of animal charities in my list) and what a lovely place we enjoy living in (which is why there are environmental charities in my list) I also have breast cancer charities in my list (due to my own health….and, no, I don’t have my “bald+jaundiced” photo up here! LOL! Wait for my book, yo!!!) And many other charities I think you should look at.
I have “hyperlinked” the list, rather than explaining each of the names, because I want to encourage you to explore each one. :) Here is my list:
Liberation BC (liberationbc.org)
Rest Q. Animal Sanctuary (restqsanctuary.org)
Sea Shepard Conservation Society (seashepard.org)
PETA (peta.org)
Hearts on Noses (heartsonnoses.com)
AIDS Vancouver (aidsvancouver.org)
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (cbcf.org)
BC Cancer Agency (bcca.bc.ca)
WWF (wwf.ca)
David Suzuki Foundation (davidsuzuki.org)
SAINTS (saintsrescue.ca)
Greater Vancouver Food Bank (foodbank.bc.ca)
GREENPEACE CANADA (greenpeace.ca)
Farm Sanctuary (farmsanctuary.org)
Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org)
Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)
OXFAM Canada (oxfam.ca)
Operation Smile (operationsmile.org)
BCSPCA (spca.bc.ca)
Animal Advocates Society (animaladvocates.com)
I hope you all take time to investigate and discover some amazing opportunities to help. WE are The Change and WE CAN help!!!! YAY!!
Have an awesome week, Lovebugs!!! And, DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR SUGGESTIONS IN THE “COMMENTS”!!!! Thank you!!!
With love and devotion and Highest Blessings,
Biffy Xo
December 15th, 2009 at 1:13 PM
As a house rabbit slave, I would like to encourage people to donate to the SPCA with the note of “For rabbit spaying/neutering.”
MANY of BC’s SPCAs don’t spay/neuter their rabbits before adopting them out to people who don’t even know the benefits of doing so! Bunnies are the third most popular house pet, can be litter box trained, and are really, similar to cats except they’re prey instead of hunter. Okay, and they’re cute as hell even when they’re chewing on your favourite pair of combats.
For more info on bunnies as house pets : http://www.rabbit.org
December 15th, 2009 at 1:28 PM
Shelter (helping homeless), http://www.justgiving.com/shelter/
December 15th, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Great list, Biffy! I’ve donated to 4 of those charities before. Every year I give money to the breast cancer foundation. This year I also gave to the WWF and the local food bank. Cheers!
December 15th, 2009 at 11:44 PM
On Halloween I donated to the SPCA in my hometown and I have also given to the Salvation Army this Christmas… unfortunately my family is having financial trouble so I can’t donate as much as I’d like, but I still do because I believe in karma, and I enjoy helping those in need! Oh Biffy you really are writing a book!! Now I have something else to look forward too!! Please let us know when it comes out, I will buy 2! *saves up!* heehee! Hope Nicklas is healing up nicely from his wound. Peace and blessings to you over the holidays :)
December 16th, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Heya Bif, thanks for sharing! Many organizations need and deserve support.
I’m worried that some of the ones listed conflict with the values i normally find associated with you..
For example, the BCSPCA is a very vegan-unfriendly organization. I understand that they’re not a vegan organization to begin with, but surely they could be taking steps if their goal is not to hurt animals and oppose cruelty.
For example, they recently held a fund raiser at a posh hotel in Vancouver, and i was alarmed that the menu was their standard fare, and practically all meat and animal products.
This prompted action from myself and Sarah Kramer, who has engaged them directly, as you can follow on her blog posting:
http://www.govegan.net/?p=2624
Luckily, this event was veganized, but the BCSPCA clearly has no interest (despite the fact that an organization like VegFund will pay for ALL food costs, if the event is vegan.) Sarah was volunteering and fund-raising for them, but no longer – she cannot in good conscience support an organization that is so careless and supports hurting animals.
Even more disturbing is a link to PETA…perhaps the biggest fraud of all.
Just a few days ago, they instructed a group on how to murder lobsters properly, and selling a machine to do it:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/ill-have-my-lobster-electrocuted-please-1824925.html
What sort of advocacy group offers ways to kill those they’re ‘protecting’?
Nathan Winograd, a leader in the no-kill movement, has a very critical posting of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA here:
http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=907
He outlines how hypocritical they are, with the number of animals they kill each year, for example in 2006, of the animal PETA ‘rescued’:
# PETA killed 1,942 of the 1,960 cats, finding homes for only 2.
# PETA killed 988 of the 1,030 dogs finding homes for only 8.
# PETA killed 50 of the 52 other companion animals (rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.), finding homes for only 2.
# PETA killed the chicken they took in
PETA claims to be an ‘animal rights’ organization, yet what rights organization kills the refugees they take in? Can you imagine the UN taking in refugees and just killing them because they don’t want to be bothered with finding space or homes or food?
No one needs the right to have their life taken by another, which is what PETA does. Some have said their Norfolk facility should be reclassified a slaughterhouse.
The numbers were similar in 2008, killing over 95% of the 2000+ animals they ‘rescued’, you can download the files from the State of Virginia here:
http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2009/03/petas-dog-shelter-is-really-slaughter.html
PETA claims to have millions of members, and an annual budget of $30 million, yet they can’t find homes for ~2,000 animals each year?
Come on.
PETA is very clear that they have few qualms about killing animals, and that is the last thing any animal needs. Especially from a group that purports to be their ‘advocate’.
The concerns are endless, from PETA promoting KFC with a cross-Canada tour, to advertising Burger King on their website for around two years with a pop-up ad. They give awards to designers of mouse and cattle killing devices.
PETA is a fraud, and little of what they do follows a vegan or animal rights ethic. This is rarely discussed, and so long as people continue to support them, these and other heinous activities will persist. We need to support animal advocacy groups that promote a real vegan and animal rights message, and perhaps real progress and change will occur. (PETA is an active participant in animal slaughter, and we need opponents of this!!)
Please reconsider your support of PETA, if you’d like to chat about this any further, please do email.
Peas out,
- Dave (aka VeganCyclist on Twitter) in Victoria, BC
December 19th, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Dave, just to clarify, the SPCA event in Vancouver at Opus Hotel was all vegan (at least the food was – I’m not 100% positive about the wine). Sarah Kramer’s posts refer to a Victoria SPCA event.
December 19th, 2009 at 7:11 PM
Thanks so much for including Liberation BC in your list!
December 19th, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Hi Bif,
Thank you so much for including Liberation BC on your list! We are so honored to have such a positive vegan role model like you out there!
xo
Joanne
Liberation BC
December 19th, 2009 at 8:43 PM
Great list–I’m already donating to Farm Sanctuary for the holidays, as well as United Poultry Concerns. Keep up the good work :D
December 21st, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Hey Glenn – correct, it was the event at the Opus Bar that precipitated action from Sarah (shortly after we began writing letters to the BCSPCA about Opus, we found out that an event at WildArc, the wildlife rehab centre outside of Victoria, which is also run by the BCSPCA, was having a dinner as well, and it was 100% non-vegan.
Sarah had been working with the Victoria BCSPCA, but she’s addressing the entire organization. She’s no longer supporting them, understandably.
As Sarah points out, it’s completely baffling that this organization would directly contribute to the harming of animals, and even do so at it’s own financial expense, when a group like VegFund.org exists, which will cover the expenses of your event, if it’s all vegan food!
So instead of reserving their $$ to help an animal, they’re spending it on killing animals instead and perpetuating the most wide-spread animal cruelty in existence. Such a shame.
So, i’d recommend http://www.VegFund.org as a charity. =)
January 4th, 2010 at 10:15 PM
The Victoria spca killed a three year old healthy, gentle loved family dog called Ricky. Without contacting the owner after they emailed the owner through used Victoria, telling her to bring him to them to find a new home because they do home checks. Do not take any dogs to the Victoria SPCA.
January 8th, 2010 at 7:38 PM
thanks so much putting SAINTS on your list and helping to get the word out about homeless senior animals.