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The news you need: Rescued piglet is adorable.  »

Holy crap this piglet is cute! Look at these other pics by photographer Jo-Anne McArthur. They are amazing. I love the ones in the pet carrier, he looks so tiny! This is Sir Edgar Francios. He fell off a truck in Quebec and somebody saved him and now he lives at Snooters Farm Animal Sanctuary in Ontario. Behind him is Pook, a puppymill rescue. Pook! Is that a belly band? OMG POOK! I can’t believe they put up this pic of you, you must be embarrassed. Don’t be, a lot of great individuals can’t control their bladder.

Adorable baby goats in coats, eating roses!  »

COME ON! You’ve got to be kidding me. This is like Anne Geddes-multiplied-by-baby-unicorns-cute. These little goats in coats come to us from Edgar’s Mission in Australia. Are you totally in love?

OMG how much do I need a purse goat?! I’ll feed him roses all the live long day.

These five little orphans made their way to Edgar’s Mission and now they are struggling to see humans as kind and caring, instead of mommy-stealers.  

You can sponsor these five guys if you are so inclined, just head over to their page!

Hello, Friends! it’s WTF Wednesday!   »

You guys, Allen and I bought a tv! This means we are together forever! Allen tried to inform me that the washer and dryer we’d purchased two years ago was a bigger deal but fuck clean clothes, I can finally use the Playstation 3 I bought him like 15 thousand years ago (for him! Not for me!) and play all of the awesome games I’ve been missing out on while Allen has been waffling on what kind of TV we were going to get. And we can truly test the limits of our relationship as Allen sees how incredibly angry I can get at a video game and also at anyone who tries to help me or suggests that if ‘very easy’ is too intense or difficulty for me then perhaps I should use the console as a Blu-ray and tv-watching machine and save some money.

Actually, Allen has been incredibly helpful in beating some of the games and on Saturday we accomplished the feat of completing God of War in a cooperative manner. Earlier that day, Allen and I had gotten locked out of our apartment and I had not been as cooperative in understanding how he could have left the house without keys as I was when he was unable to murder a horde of harpies the first time he tried. Allen sees this as a problem. I do not. Sometimes I feel Allen does not focus on the important things in life, like saving ancient Athens from burning and freeing yourself of the memories of all the people you’ve slaughtered along the way.

At least I’m not lonely, though. I mean Allen and I bicker constantly but it’s fun and playful and I wouldn’t be able to be a part of any relationship in which I couldn’t constantly threaten murder and evisceration upon my partner (Allen knows I am too lazy to actually follow through). We can’t say the same for Lonesome George, the giant rare tortoise who passed away earlier this month. He refused to be in any relationship! I respect that, but I wouldn’t be able to do it.  And it makes me feel kind of lonely just thinking about him and his lonesome death an the fact that he was the last tortoise of his kind and he was just going to take that with him. Actually, that part I kind of get, just set it all on fire when you go.

Just as Lonesome George was dying, though, three rare White Tiger cubs were born in the Ukraine (Hi Ukraine! Remember when I lived next to you?). That reminds me of this one time Laura and I were watching House and a woman collapsed in the first two minutes and I was all “Aneurysm!” because I had been playing a lot of Trauma Center and Laura was all “I bet she’s pregnant,” and she was! And then Laura predicted that the woman would have to die to give the baby life and she was correct then too, and then she spent ten minutes after the episode explaining the mysteries of life to me because I just didn’t understand. Which is exactly what this seems like.

Just so we’re not all depressed as we venture forth on this glorious hump-day (I am writing this in bed before I have to go to work!) here’s a video of a baby turtle (on theme!) eating the fuck out of a giant raspberry. This video really makes me want to go out and eat raspberries but only serves to remind me that the only thing I have to look forward to is a bowl of oatmeal after an hour of step aerobics.

That’s it for this week! Please send me links and PS3 recommendations for next week and have a harpy free Wednesday!

Animal News You Can Use: Gestation crates are out, mini pigs are in!  »

It’s Paul Shapiro’s Animal News You Can Use! Yay!

Big news this week: Kroger—the nation’s largest grocery chain—announced that it wants its pork suppliers to accelerate the phase-out of gestation crates, and a Senate committee in New Jersey unanimously passed a bill to ban gestation crates. Here’s a good story about both, and the wonderful Jane Velez-Mitchell has a good op-ed on CNN.com today on why it’s time to end this cruelty.

Just yesterday, Pork Magazine (which you no doubt subscribe to) editorialized that “pork producers are fuming” at the success of our campaign against gestation crates. Boo hoo. Another industry commentator noted this week, “Sadly, the die [sic] is cast…For pork producers, it is better to switch than fight.”

Speaking of fighting, there was an important national AP story this week on the federal effort to ban barren battery cages and how a coalition of major meat/dairy trade groups are vigorously trying to kill the bill. (Have *you* called your Senators yet? If not, call 202-224-3121 and ask them to co-sponsor S 3239!)

Video of the week: Three of you independently suggested this one, so you know it’s gonna be good:

Say hello to the Kitten Cam!  »

[Can’t see the video? Watch it on Vegansaurus.com!]

Holy crap that video is cute! That mom is cray, carrying the kitten like that! She was all, “OK, that’s enough, give me my damn baby.” How cute is that? So awesome. I was like, why’s she putting it on the table? But she was just trying to get to the crate. It would be funny if she just put them on the table though, right? Haaa. Kittens on a table. 

But wait, there’s more! These kittens and their pretty mom (she’s so pretty!) are being fostered until the kittens are old enough to adopt, but in the meantime, their foster mom set up a kitten cam for us! I love it! These guys are so rascally. I know what I’ll be watching all the dang time. 

NYC: Party for the birds on Tuesday, April 3!  »

The Wild Bird Fund is hosting a fundraiser to raise money for the city’s first wildlife rehabilitation and education center! There’s going to be cool stuff you can read about below but I should tell you first: THERE’S GOING TO BE BABY BIRDS AND SQUIRRELS! BABY ANIMALS OMG WTF! And an owl—I have never met an owl. That’s a damn shame. This will not stand! We must go and meet squirrels and owls.

Details:

The Wild Bird Fund is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charity located at 558 Columbus Ave. (inside the Animal General clinic), New York City. In 2011, the WBF rehabilitated over 1,400 birds and mammals and responded to over 4,000 calls. While the fund usually deals with mostly pigeons (as they seem to be the most common bird brought in), some of the other other types of animals treated are gulls, sparrows, hawks, owls, and squirrels.

The gala will take place at the beautiful and historic “Birdie” Vanderbilt Mansion, and will feature a speech by best-selling author Jonathan Franzen and a performance by Dzul Dance. Wine and vegetarian hors d’oeuvres will be served, and guests will be able to meet a few of the feathered rescues from the previous year.

Get your tickets now! If you have any questions, you can contact Joseph via email or by phone at (914) 513-1908.

In conclusion, baby squirrel from the Wild Bird Fund’s FB page: