Ernest is an elephant, one of thousands of elephants kept in zoos and circuses for the amusement of humans. Throughout the day, humans stare at him and make silly faces. At night, he's confined to a tiny enclosure.

Born in captivity, Ernest has no idea about life in the wild, where close-knit families of elephants live as long as humans-presuming humans let them. His first elephant friend, wild born Frankie, tells Ernest all about the pleasures of living wild, and the family he misses so much.

When humans send Ernest to the circus to perform, he meets other wild born elephants, including wise old Mary and majestic, motherly Eve. Ernest learns more about what he's been denied even as he discovers the rigorous, sometimes brutal world of circus training.

A somber but ultimately hopeful tale told from an elephant's point of view, "Through the Eyes of Ernest "asks us to consider why we keep such intelligent, social animals in captivity.

Many people think that animal liberation would require a fundamental transformation of basic beliefs. We would have to give up "speciesism" and start viewing animals as our equals, with rights and moral status. And we would have to apply these beliefs in an all-or-nothing way. But in "Ethics and the Beast," Tzachi Zamir makes the radical argument that animal liberation doesn't require such radical arguments--and that liberation could be accomplished in a flexible and pragmatic way. By making a case for liberation that is based primarily on common moral intuitions and beliefs, and that therefore could attract wide understanding and support, Zamir attempts to change the terms of the liberation debate.

Without defending it, "Ethics and the Beast" claims that speciesism is fully compatible with liberation. Even if we believe that we should favor humans when there is a pressing human need at stake, Zamir argues, that does not mean that we should allow marginal human interests to trump the life-or-death interests of animals. As minimalist as it sounds, this position generates a robust liberation program, including commitments not to eat animals, subject them to factory farming, or use them in medical research. Zamir also applies his arguments to some questions that tend to be overlooked in the liberation debate, such as whether using animals can be distinguished from exploiting them, whether liberationists should be moral vegetarians or vegans, and whether using animals for therapeutic purposes is morally blameless.

As a Navy SEAL on combat deployment in Iraq, Mike Ritland saw a military working dog in action and instantly knew he'd found his true calling. Ritland started his own company, training and supplying dogs for the SEAL teams, US Government, and Department of Defence. He knew that fewer than 1 per cent of all working dogs had what it takes to contribute to the success of our nation's elite combat units, and began searching the globe for animals who fit this specific profile. The results were a revelation: highly trained working dogs capable of handling both detection and apprehension work in the most extreme environments and the tensest of battlefield conditions. Though fiercely aggressive and athletic, these dogs develop a close bond with their handlers and other team members. Truly integrating themselves into their units, these K9 warriors are much like their human counterparts-unwavering in their devotion to duty, strong enough and tough enough to take it to the enemy through pain, injury, or fear.

We're finally going to get the bill for the Industrial Age. If the projections are right, it's going to be a big one: the ecological collapse of the planet, says Jeremy Rifkin. At the dawn of the industrial age two hundred years ago, we took a wrong turn when we started living on nature's capital instead of nature's incomes. We started gorging upon resources that took nature millions of years to create. These resources were saved up by nature according to its own plan of functioning. Nature has her own way; she better understands her own affairs than we. We have one planet to live on and all our needs have to be satisfied with whatever is in here. We can not import a thing from other planets for our survival, no matter how much we advertise our dubious moon missions. All we can do is blow up billions and console the taxpayers with few rocks. This senseless exploitation of resources can not go on forever. This cradle to grave economics in which we turn every natural resource into a toxic waste is inherently unsustainable. In nature, there is no such thing as waste. So called waste generated by one living being is effectively utilized by another and so on until nothing is left. This is called the cycle of life. But today our linear system of living has replaced this natural cyclical system. This is where cow comes into picture. Living with cow is living on nature's incomes without depleting its capital resources. In the natural plan of Vedic living, human society depends on cows for its requirements of economic prosperity, food production, soil fertility, nutrition, healthcare, fuel supply, transport, spiritual wellbeing, sustainable development, individual and social peace, higher consciousness, development of human qualities, performance of religious duties, environmental protection, ecological preservation, advancement of art & culture, cottage industry etc. Many of the maladies staring in our face today can be traced to this factor - humanity distancing itself from the timeless culture of cow protection.

The term sacred cow finds its origin in the ancient Vedic tradition, dating back to thousands of years. What really prompted these folks to revere and worship the cows? Were they really so stupid as to worship an animal? Are we really that smart now to ridicule their idea? Why didn't they propose to worship any other animal like tiger, dog or monkey. This book delineates various aspects of cow sciences as presented by the voice of an old civilization, Vedas.

If you love animals and are dismayed when you see stories of animal abuse and cruelty in the news; if you ever wished you could do something about it, but you just didn't know where to start, this book has you covered. Just 30 seconds a day on the Internet can not only make a difference, but can also change the world. This inspiring, informative and highly useful resource is for novices as well as experienced animal rescuers. Combining case histories with practical tips, this guide demonstrates how to use the Internet to advocate for dogs; from simple clicks to more advanced methods. This guide will show you how just one person can put change in motion. Award-Winning Finalist in the Animals/Pets category of The 2013 USA Best Book Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.

Two-thirds of Americans polled by the Associated Press agree with the following statement: \u0022An animal's right to live free of suffering should be just as important as a person's right to live free of suffering.\u0022 More than 50 percent of Americans believe that it is wrong to kill animals to make fur coats or to hunt them for sport. But these same Americans eat hamburgers, take their children to circuses and rodeos, and use products developed with animal testing. How do we justify our inconsistency? In this easy-to-read introduction, animal rights advocate Gary Francione looks at our conventional moral thinking bout animals. Using examples, analogies, and thought-experiments, he reveals the dramatic inconsistency between what we say we believe about animals and how we actually treat them. Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or the Dog? provides a guidebook to examining our social and personal ethical beliefs. It takes us through concepts of property and equal consideration to arrive at the basic contention of animal rights: that everyone -- human and non-human -- has the right not to be treated as a means to an end. Along the way, it illuminates concepts and theories that all of us use but few of us understand -- the nature of \u0022rights\u0022 and \u0022interests,\u0022 for example, and the theories of Locke, Descartes, and Bentham. Filled with fascinating information and cogent arguments, this is a book that you may love or hate, but that will not fail to inform, enlighten, and educate.

Life is all about variety, and no where is that truer than in the animal kingdom. There are different kinds of dogs, horses, fish, rabbits; you name it. This book will take you into the lives of many of those animals. If you didn't care before, or know that you should, remember that many of these creatures are vanishing from off the Earth. It's my job and yours to see to it that doesn't happen, or to at least slow the downward spiral. If you haven't been to your local zoo in a while, maybe today or tomorrow will be a good time to visit. Some of those same animals may not be here in ten or twenty years. Get to know many of them and get behind them; they all need our support.

The Fourth Seal ...and when I had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say "Come and see," And I looked and behold a running pale dead animal. And the name of he who sat on the animal ...was Death, and Hell followed ...them. And power was given unto them over the four parts of the earth, to kill with the beasts of the earth ...-From the Book of Revelation Animals that have been skinned for their furs are coming back to life and skinning the people wearing their furs! Animals have been hunted and killed for thousands of years. They were part of God's food chain and kept everyone alive. For the last one hundred years, furs have become charmingly fashionable; and now animals are skinned for just their furs. Their bloody remains and bodies are left to rot. Skinz follows the lives and family stories of furry animals that ultimately end up being skinned for their pelts to create coats for undeserving humans. Integrating real facts with their stories, Stevens paints a realistic picture of the torture that the animals experience in the creation of these garments. Now it's the animals' turn to repay mankind ...and they're pissed!

As the title reflects, this nonfiction book is an expression of thoughts and ideas mirroring the environment and our experiences. Although these thoughts originated in India, they are universal in nature and represent an outpouring of emotions, thoughts, facts, imaginations, and sensitivities at different levels. Bouquet of Brain Waves throws light on universal bonding, the essence that binds us with everything around to make us feel one with matter, animals and people. The author talks about the simplicity of children and education, in contrast to the present complex system that complicates a child's mind, and shows concern for animals in our man-dominated nature. She reflects on the practical importance of English as a global language, yet her imagination longs to surge into space and its celestial bodies to discover the awe-inspiring spirit of the universe. The poetry reaches the practical as well as the most sensitive areas of life, nature, and the absurdities of living, and the attitude of society toward the female (The divine Devi!) is perfectly portrayed in its perverted form. The author does not try to teach, but in the process, the reader invariably realises the hidden sensitivities, blurred values, changed environment, unavoidable practicalities, and the urge of imaginations that complete our learning in life and nature. A retired teacher, Sumathi Kulkarni lives in India. "The unique characteristic of my country is its multiplicity of culture, language, and religion that bonds its people to weave into a spiritually beautiful nation. It is rich in its heritage spread throughout the length and breadth of its land. One life is insufficient to understand its beauty of existence." Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/SumathiKulkarni

Global trade in illegal wildlife is a growing illicit economy, estimated to be worth at least $5 billion and potentially in excess of $20 billion annually. Some of the most lucrative illicit wildlife commodities include tiger parts, caviar, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and exotic birds and reptiles. Demand for illegally obtained wildlife is ubiquitous, and some suspect that illicit demand may be growing. This book provides an overview of illegal wildlife crime with a focus on determining funding levels for U.S. wildlife trade inspection and investigation; evaluating the effectiveness of U.S. foreign aid to combat the wildlife trade; using trade sanctions to penalise foreign countries with weak enforcement of wildlife laws; incorporating wildlife trade provisions into free trade agreements; and addressing the domestic and international demand for illegal wildlife through public awareness campaigns and non-governmental organisation partnerships.

Can an animal commit a crime? For hundreds of years until the mid-nineteenth century, trying an animal in a court of law and sentencing it to imprisonment or death was a common practice in Europe. This became the subject of a pioneering work called The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals, published in 1906 by Edward Payson Evans. It detailed an amazing assemblage of court cases in which animals were named as defendants. Animal Trials is an edited version of Evans' book, selecting the most extraordinary and controversial cases. They include: An eight-month trial of a flock of weevils, for damaging vines. Although the insects were found guilty, the sentence is unknown because the foot of the relevant parchment was eaten by insects. A pig tried and found guilty of strangling and killing a baby in its cradle. The sentence was death and the pig was hanged. A group of rats who were summoned to court for eating the local barley, but failed to turn up. Their defence counsel successfully argued that they had probably not received the summons and should be let off. There were even trials of inanimate objects, such as a Russian bell put on trial for abetting insurrection. It was found guilty and exiled to Siberia. Animal Trials provides fascinating insight into a bygone era, addressing important social issues just as relevant today such as animal rights and capital punishment.

For the first time in history, humans sit unchallenged at the top of the food chain. As we encroach on the wild and a vast wave of extinctions gathers force, how has our relationship with animals changed? In this dazzling essay, Anna Krien investigates the world we have made and the complexity of the choices we face. From pets to the live cattle trade, from apex predators to scientific experiments, Krien shows how we should - and do - treat our fellow creatures. As she delves deeper, she finds that animals can trigger primal emotions in us, which we are often unwilling to acknowledge. This is a clear-eyed meditation on humanity and animality, us and them, that brings out the importance of animals in an unforgettable way. "I am not weighing up whether our treatment of animals is just, because it isn't. That age-old debate is a farce - deep down we all know it. The real question is, just how much of this injustice are we prepared to live with?" - Anna Krien, Us & Them About the Author: Anna Krien's first book, Into the Woods, won the Queensland Premier's Literary Award for Non-Fiction and the Victorian Premier's People's Choice Award. Her writing has been published in the Monthly, the Age, Best Australian Essays, Best Australian Stories and the Big Issue.

How egocentric of humans to think we are the only beings who can think, feel, bond with others, etc. As the "dominating" species, we have a responsibility to care for and protect the entire planet, including the other animals. Those who describe animals as not having any thoughts or feelings come closer to the description they're trying to describe. Its enormously puzzling that extreme suffering only gets widely questioned if it is the suffering of members of the human species. It is extraordinary how many people just accept the appalling treatment of such a vast number of animals. Animals have souls and we have a duty to respect them Anything less is to deny one's humanity and one's own soul Numerous stories outlined in this book prove this point, beyond the shadow of a doubt.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." It's become a common saying. It's the Golden Rule. In this fictional, somewhat comical biography, a veterinarian accidentally finds herself in a position to be amazed by animals' thoughts and how they truly feel about the world around them. Do To Animals will surprise, yet encourage pet owners and non-pet owners alike everywhere to treat animals with respect.

"Astonishing . . . Moving." --"People "
""The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary" is an unflinching, visceral look at the emotional and physical damage--actual, real damage done to specific, individual apes--in some of America's most notorious biomedical research labs. It is also the story of humans who were driven to provide them with refuge, retirement . . . and, ultimately, their inherent right to dignity." --Sara Gruen, author of "Water for Elephants"
IN THE CANADIAN WILDERNESS, Gloria Grow has created a rehabilitation center like none other. Thirteen chimpanzees, rescued from zoos and medical testing laboratories, now call Fauna Sanctuary home. After decades of cruelty and deprivation, these resilient primates are finally free to eat, sleep, play, and roam in peace--all while fighting their personal demons. Primatologist and author Andrew Westoll lived and worked at Fauna one remarkable summer, and "The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary" is his poignant testimony to the capacity of these animals to heal--and to learn to be chimps again. This is an absorbing, bighearted story about the species more closely related to us than any other.

"There is plenty of moral outrage in this book, but there is also plenty of wonder . . . Impassioned and well reasoned." --"Cleveland Plain Dealer"

Did you know that mosquitoes' mouthparts are helping to develop pain-free surgical needles? Who'd have thought that the humble mussel could inspire so many useful things, from plywood production to a 'glue' that cements the crowns on teeth and saves unborn babies in the womb? How about the fact that studying the tiny kingfisher solved engineering problems with Japan's ultra-high-speed bullet train, or that the humpback whale's flipper helped design the most efficient blades for wind power turbines? For many years, humans have been using the natural world as inspiration for everything from fashion to architecture, and medicine to transport, and it may come as a surprise to learn how many inventions have been motivated by animal design and behaviour. Dive into the depths with us as author Patrick Aryee reveals even more astonishing stories about animals' exceptional powers and the unique contributions they've made to the quality of our everyday lives. Beautiful hand-drawn illustrations accompany his revelations and bring the natural world to life.

Despite increasing public attention to animal suffering, little seems to have changed: human beings continue to exploit billions of animals in factory farms, medical laboratories, and elsewhere. In this wide-ranging and perceptive study, Lisa Kemmerer shows how spiritual writings and teachings in seven major religious traditions can help people to consider their ethical obligations towards other creatures. Kemmerer examines the role of animals in scripture and myth, the lives of religious exemplars, and foundational philosophical and moral teachings. Beginning with a study of indigenous traditions around the world, Kemmerer then focuses on the religions of India - Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain - as well as on Daoism and Confucianism in China, and, finally, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the Middle East. At the end of each chapter, Kemmerer discusses the lives and work of contemporary animal advocates, showing what they do on behalf of nonhuman animals and how their activism is motivated by personal religious commitments. Animals in the World's Religions demonstrates that rightful relations between human beings and animals are essential for the resolution of some of the most pressing moral problems facing industrial societies.

Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2008. The period of the Enlightenment saw great changes in the way animals were seen. The codifying and categorizing impulse of the age of reason saw sharp lines drawn between different animal species and between animals and humans. In 1600, "beasts" were still seen as the foils and adversaries of human reason, by 1800, animals had become exemplars of sentiment and compassion, the new standards of truth and morals. A new age had dawned, a time when humans admired animals and sought to recover their own animality. As with all the volumes in the illustrated "Cultural History of Animals," this volume presents an overview of the period and continues with essays on the position of animals in contemporary Symbolism, Hunting, Domestication, Sports and Entertainment, Science, Philosophy, and Art. Volume 4 in the Cultural History of Animals edited by Linda Kalof and Brigitte Resl.

There may be a town called Santa Catalina, but the one in this book is creation of the author. What is real and happens all over the world is the problem of dogs living on the street. They, like human beings, suffer and their life is a bit similar to the homeless people. This is not a beautiful picture and many turn to look the other way as if not looking would avoid feelings of remorse for not trying to help them. The truth is that many problems could be prevented if we all worked together to help those beings that, for various reasons, end up living without a roof over their heads. We all try to live a life without hardship, however there are many reasons that lead us to failure and we use all necessary means to not fall too low. But dogs, after being domesticated and living for many years with human beings, have learned to depend on them for survival and deserve to live with respect.

Jeremy Rich uses the eccentric life of R. L. Garner (1848-1920) to examine the commercial networks that brought the first apes to America during the Progressive Era, a critical time in the development of ideas about African wildlife, race, and evolution.

Garner was a self-taught zoologist and atheist from southwest Virginia. Starting in 1892, he lived on and off in the French colony of Gabon, studying primates and trying to engage U.S. academics with his theories. Most prominently, Garner claimed that he could teach apes to speak human languages and that he could speak the languages of primates. Garner brought some of the first live primates to America, launching a traveling demonstration in which he claimed to communicate with a chimpanzee named Susie. He was often mocked by the increasingly professionalized scientific community, who were wary of his colorful escapades, such as his ill-fated plan to make a New York City socialite the queen of southern Gabon, and his efforts to convince Thomas Edison to finance him in Africa.

Yet Garner did influence evolutionary debates, and as with many of his era, race dominated his thinking. Garner's arguments--for example, that chimpanzees were more loving than Africans, or that colonialism constituted a threat to the separation of the races--offer a fascinating perspective on the thinking and attitudes of his times. "Missing Links" explores the impact of colonialism on Africans, the complicated politics of buying and selling primates, and the popularization of biological racism.