Voices of Compassion

February 21, 2012

"Not Abusive" - National Pork Board

That's right. After watching COK's new undercover footage taken inside a pig breeding factory farm in Iowa, the National Pork Board proclaimed "the practices shown in the video are not abusive." Who watches a piglet screaming as his genitals are cut off without painkiller and declares it "not abusive"? Who sees animals permanently locked in cages where they can barely move an inch their whole lives and thinks such treatment isn't abuse?

This is the mentality of an industry that is just simply out of step with how Americans know animals ought to be treated. Instead of acknowledging that these standard industry practices are cruel -- so cruel that gestation crates are being phased out of the European Union as well as eight US states and the painful castration of male piglets is banned in Switzerland and Norway -- agribusiness interests are instead trying to prevent Americans from finding out about them.

February 16, 2012

Valentine’s Day Feed-In Makes Life Sweeter for Animals

by Gwendolyn Mathers

Boxed chocolates are a Valentine’s Day cliché, and unfortunately for our animal friends, one that typically contains cow’s milk. That’s why Compassion Over Killing volunteers in Los Angeles gathered in bustling downtown Culver City to serve up scrumptious, cruelty-free chocolates—and to show that dairy isn’t necessary to make a treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth and dazzle your sweetheart.

Volunteers Kelly Boston, Stefani Aguallo, Alexis Antonelli Morris, Jessica Spain, and Brandilyn Tebo handed out nearly 350 vegan truffles made with Trader Joe’s Joe-Joe’s (Oreo-like cookie sandwiches), non-dairy cream cheese, and hand-dipped in melted semi-sweet chocolate. Along with these delectable candies, shoppers received copies of our brand new Vegetarian Guide to Los Angeles and a Compassionate Choices brochure.

February 14, 2012

Valentine’s Day Vittles

by Jaya Bhumitra

You don’t need a sweetheart to make something special for St. Valentine’s Day. In fact, after you get a taste of these vegan goodies, you might be tempted to keep them all to yourself. But, if you’re willing to share, there’s nothing that says love quite like chocolate!

For the cuddly couple staying in…

Whoever said that chocolate had to be served in a heart-shaped box? Baking together can be romantic—and no one can resist an admirer with a gooey batch of Chewy Fudge Bownies straight from the oven.

For the allergen sensitive lover…

Consider whipping up a batch of Creamy Chocolate Pudding. Use your favorite type of non-dairy milk and serve it in a pie crust, with berries, or even on its own. Who needs fondue when there is pudding?

For the flirtatious foodies…

February 10, 2012

It's Gluten-Free, Not Glutton-Free!

by Sean Conner

For many vegetarians and vegans, the first reaction they encounter when discussing their ethics and diet is some variation on the "But what do you eat?!?" tune. Add in "gluten free" and the responses you get will fall just short of fainting. Let's bear in mind that, though this is a surprise to some, there is no single way to go about your plant-based diet; some people opt for foods that are soy-free, raw, locally produced, or without hydrogenated oils, just to name a few common approaches.

February 9, 2012

Ask Dunkin' Donuts to Have a Heart for Animals

by Erica Meier

Dunkin' Donuts is the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain serving more than three million customers daily. It offers over 65 varieties of doughnuts -- including two heart-shaped specials for Valentine's Day: Cupid's Choice and a Chocolate Heart.

Sounds like a sweet deal, until you discover that these heart-shaped specials along every other doughnut dished out by Dunkin' are made with egg and dairy products from factory-farmed animals.

Where does Dunkin' get its eggs from? One of the company's suppliers is the Minnesota-based egg factory farm Michael Foods, which was the subject of a COK investigation in 2009 that uncovered shockingly cruel conditions for over one million laying hens confined inside tiny wire battery cages (see video below). In addition to documenting severe overcrowding, feather loss, and untreated illnesses and injuries, our investigation revealed unsanitary conditions including decomposing and "mummified" corpses left in cages with live birds.

February 8, 2012

Travel Tips: Be Vegan in Any Language

by Katie Shamp

It's hard not to notice that in the past few years, restaurants and grocery stores throughout the U.S. are increasingly stocking up on a wide variety of meatless options, making it easier than ever to choose animal-friendly foods.

When traveling abroad however, especially to a country in which you don't fluently speak the language, you might worry about finding enough vegan options. And if you've been putting off that international travel because you're not sure how to order a meat-, egg-, and dairy-free meal, then it's time to start checking those travel deal sites because we've got a solution: V-Cards!

Available in over 60 languages, from Afrikaans to Greek to Yiddish, V-Cards are a simple way to help you communicate important information about your vegan diet in a foreign language. They're the brain-child of long-time animal advocate and COK supporter Mike Weinberg as a way to help him during his personal travels:

February 7, 2012

"Compassion Club" is a Best-Seller!

by Jaya Bhumitra

We recently told you that our friends at Something Healthy restaurant in Los Angeles collaborated with us to create a COK-inspired “Compassion Club,” with 10% of proceeds benefiting our campaigns for animals. Well, within a few short weeks, this new all-vegan protein-packed sandwich jumped to the top of the café's best-seller list and it's now permanently added to the menu! Plus, the agave mustard and vegan basil pesto sandwich spread they've created for the Compassion Club was raved about by so many customers, Something Healthy has decided use it on several other sandwiches. And by replacing the regular pesto with this new vegan spread, they're not only expanding their vegan menu -- they're also reducing their use of animal products overall. A win-win for customers and animals!

Need more reasons to check out Something Healthy? Here are just a few reviews from volunteers who recently visited the café:

February 6, 2012

Veg Spotlight: DC Meat-Free Week 2012!

by Erica Meier

Did you know that the nation's capital was recently named "Top Vegetarian City" by Living Social?

To the average visitor, Washington D.C. may seem like a city filled to the brim with political figureheads, federal monuments, and way too many tourists milling about and snapping family photos in front of the White House. But once you get past the politics and historical landmarks, you'll discover that the nation’s capital is a fully-loaded vegan haven pleasing the palates of compassionate diners from both inside and outside the beltway.

If fact, after conducting a nationwide poll, Living Social found that when asked to describe their eating habits, "more Capitol City diners say they don't eat meat than in any other metropolis polled."

February 2, 2012

The Dish: Veggie Foods the Real Stars in the City of Angels

by Jaya Bhumitra

Forget the map of celebrities’ houses. The guide that everyone really wants is the 2012 edition of our Vegetarian Guide to Los Angeles!

Hot-off-the-presses, our handy, 20-page pocket-brochure—which we distribute for free to tens of thousands of Los Angelenos—makes it easier than ever to choose animal-friendly foods, as it features 125 veg-friendly restaurants (from fast-food to four-star), hotels, bakeries, food trucks, and farmers market favorites in “The City of Angels.”

The popularity of meat-free fare in Los Angeles and around the country has surged. According to a recent Harris Interactive poll conducted for Vegetarian Times, 7 million Americans consider themselves vegetarian, and 22.8 million more are "vegetarian-inclined.” In addition, a 2009 Restaurants & Industries poll reveals that 42% of omnivores say they’ll forgo a meat dish for a vegetarian one if given the option.

February 1, 2012

Celebrate American Heart Month with Heart-Healthy Veggie Foods

by Jaya Bhumitra

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s only fitting that February is dedicated as “American Heart Month.”

According to the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at the CDC, one in every three deaths in the U.S. is due to heart-related illnesses. That's more than 2,200 fatalities per day, making cardiovascular disease the country’s leading cause of death. Moreover, hospitalizations due to these ailments cost upwards of $440 billion in health care expenses and lost productivity—which has a significant impact in a down economy.