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Melissa Norbeck
Posted By Melissa Norbeck
Animal Paintings by Joanne Hoffman
Neji: Painting By Joanne Hoffman
Animal cruelty is a matter I feel passionately about. Cruelty toward animals should not exist; there needs to be stiffer punishments which actually fit the crimes. Cruelty comes in many varieties: the selling of fur (cats, dogs, rabbits, etc… the animals are stuffed and piled into crates and then skinned alive), fighting of dogs, killing of wildlife, slaughtering of horses, clubbing of seals, testing on animals, and the everyday torture and neglect of family pets, just to name a few.
Emma: Painting By Joanne Hoffman
A big problem is over population. Between five and ten million stray cats and dogs live on the streets in America. And people are still allowing their dogs and cats to have more litters. It comes down to responsibility. The average lifespan of a stray animal is less than two years. That is an unnecessary, short, and brutal existence. To quote Bob Barker, “Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered.”
Another form of cruelty is the killing of animals for human consumption. I have been a vegetarian for the past 17 years. I cannot make people stop eating meat, but the inhumane and cruel ways animals are killed need to stop.
Jake: Painting By Joanne Hoffman
More examples of cruelty: McDonald’s scolds its chickens alive. Ringling Bros. Circus beats its animals. Pigs receive no pain relief when they have their teeth removed with wire cutters. Chickens have their sensitive beaks cut off without painkillers. (Research has proved that chickens are smarter than dogs, cats, and even some primates.) Veal calves are confined to crates so small they can’t even turn around. Many companies test their products on animals. Companies need to work toward cruelty-free methods. And when it comes to fighting, people choose to fight, animals don’t.
Libby: Painting By Joanne Hoffman
Animals depend on us for almost everything, and we as human beings owe it to them – to protect them, to take care of them, and to not purposely put them in harmful situations. There needs to be justice. The animals do not deserve this treatment. There is just no reason for the torment and the torture, no reason at all.
Phoebe & Prudence: Painting By Joanne Hoffman
The Humane Society, PETA, ASPCA, and World Wildlife Fund are just a few of the organizations who have been helping animals live better lives.
When we stop the killing and the suffering of our animals, we can restore the humanity!
www.HoffmanStudio.com
yoko
December 12th, 2009 at 01:11
i agree completely with you, melissa…i became a vegetarian then a vegan when i was 11 until the age of 28 when i started eating seafood again…i was also and still am to a degree extremely active in animal rights….writing state officials, going on rallies and even gone so far as to work with one of the more aggressive groups…the animal liberation front where i participated in a few, let’s say, rescue missions…i have one question for you, however and this was a question i was frequently asked as a vegan and that is do you wear leather products?…..it appears in the photograph that you are, but there is so much access to pleather now, i was wondering how far you have taken your strong disposition on the matter of animal rights.
admin
December 12th, 2009 at 18:12
….Great question……TW
*Melissa
December 13th, 2009 at 04:17
Thanks for your question. The boots I am wearing are not real; they are “all man-made material”. It is hard, and I really need to make a conscious effort about the things I wear, but I try (definitely not perfect though, I’m sure). It just proves that people can wear faux leather and faux fur and still look good. I’ll discuss this more in my next post.
Nina
December 14th, 2009 at 04:21
Thank you Melissa. The paintings are lovely and playful too!
Colin Audain
February 13th, 2010 at 05:25
A chum has made a blog that is working to inform people about animal cruelty, particularly toward dogs and pups. He and several other supporters are putting a bunch of work into it. We get a lot of inspiration from sites like yours. It’s very sad how some people abuse animals.
Melissa
April 16th, 2010 at 06:01
Yes, it is very very sad. What is the name of your friend’s blog? How do I find it?