Animal Quotes

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
~Mahatma Gandhi

“Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms”
~George Eliot

“Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head and keeps pecking away until he finishes the job he starts”
~Coleman Cox

“The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.”
~Samuel Butler

“Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them?”
~Rose F. Kennedy

"An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language."
~Martin Buber

"I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being."
~Abraham Lincoln

"Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to."
~Alfred A. Montapert

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."
~St. Francis of Assisi

"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men."
~Alice Walker

"If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth."

~Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe, letter to President Franklin Pierce

A Tribute to Steve Irwin

The Crocodile Hunter was one of my favorite shows growing up. I loved starting my day with Steve Irwin’s trademark “Crikey!” I was always on the edge of my seat while I watched my hero battle a poisonous snake or enormous crocodile. Some people watched the show just for that reason, but I was always interested in what he had to say as well. I took in every word and stored it in my large collection of animal knowledge. I remember running off after the credits to tell my mom what I learned: “Mom, guess what. Chameleons can move their eyeballs separately!” I really learned a lot from Steve Irwin and his passion for animals further fueled my strong love for them.

In 2006, my mom delivered the news that Steve Irwin had died. I was shocked. I hadn’t watched his show in a while, but that did not stop me from feeling grief over his tragic death. I went to school that day thinking about what my mom said and hoping she was mistaken. My high school played a teen version of the news every day in homeroom. So, when they revealed the news of Steve’s death, my eyes watered as I thought about the family he left behind: a wife and two very young children. My classmates were a lot less sympathetic. Steve’s death became the joke of the day. I was very angry at how cruel they were. What happened to respecting the dead?

I watched the memorial service and was saddened by Terri Irwin’s tears, but so impressed with young Bindi’s speech about her father.

I was sad for the Irwin family and the men and women at the Australia Zoo who were good friends with Steve. Moreover, I was sad for the animals Steve spent his life trying to protect. His voice seemed to be the strongest for wildlife conservation. His death by an animal made thousands turn against his message of protecting wildlife. I know if he had survived, he would have been defending the stingray.

Fortunately, Steve’s message did not die with him. His daughter has already taken over his spot with her Discovery Kid’s show Bindi the Jungle Girl in which she spreads the message of wildlife conservation to the younger generation. She has already won an Emmy for “Best TV personality.” I am sure Bindi will do so much for the animal kingdom. Steve Irwin lives on in his daughter, and he would be very proud.

Animal Spotlight: Seals

If you couldn’t tell from my profile picture, I love seals. They have been my favorite animal since I first saw them at the zoo when I was three. Today I feel like I can identify with the seal. I’ve been on the swimteam since I was nine and I’m a very talented and graceful swimmer, but I’m the biggest clutz on land, which is exactly the way a seal works. Besides that coincidence, I think seals are the most beautiful creatures with their stream-lined bodies and their underwater ballets. So I’m dedicating this entry to my favorite animal, the seal:

There are many species of seals (at least 33). All are classified under the scientific Suborder Pinnipedia. This category includes seals, sea lions, and walruses. With so many breeds of seals, there is a wide range of sizes. The smallest seal weighs only 65 lbs. while the largest seal weighs 4,850 lbs. Seals are mammals, therefore they breath oxygen, are warm blooded, and give birth to live young. Seals are very facinating creatures. Instead of feet or paws, seals have four flippers: 2 in the front spread apart, and 2 close together in the back forming a tail-like structure. The word pinniped means "fin footed." Seals actually have individual finger bones within their flipper. All fingers are connected by a web of skin that forms the flipper.

In addition to their flippers, seals have several claws on the front and/or back flippers to help them move better on land. Although seals are able to move about on land, their fins make them better suited for the water and they spend most of their life in the ocean. Their fins are not the only quality that makes seals skilled swimmers. Once in the water, a seal conserves oxygen by slowing its heart rate to 1/10 of it's normal rate, its arteries constrict, a clear membrane covers the eye, and the nostrils automatically close. Seals can hold their breath for up to an hour, their hydrodynamic bodies can reach speeds of 23 miles per hour, and they can reach depths of up to 4,125 feet.

With so much time in the water, naturally, a seal's primary diet is made up of fish. Some species, however eat krill, squid, penguins, shellfish, and some have even been known to eat smaller seals and even flying birds. Seals can be found in coastal regions worldwide. Habitats range from frozen ice flows to tropical beaches (depending on the particular species.)


Seals are divided into two groups: eared seals (which include fur seals and sea lions), and true seals. There are certain differences between the two groups such as physical appearance, vocalization, and swimming style.

Eighteen species make up the true seal group. True seals have short foreflippers with a claw on each toe. Their hind flippers angle backward and cannot bend forward. Their ears are not visible. Their bodies contain more blubber which makes them appear fatter than earred seals. They also vocalize with soft grunts. True seals swim with their back flippers and steer with the front flippers.

There are 14 species of earred seals. These include fur seals and sea lions. Like the name suggests, earred seals have visible ear flaps. They are sleeker than true seals and have longer necks. They are also louder than true seals. They vocalize with barks simliar to a dog. The main difference between earred seals and true seals, involves the back flippers. Fur seals and sea lions have the ability to rotate their back flippers enabling them to use them as feet on land. This makes earred seals more coordinated on land than true seals who have to wiggle on their bellies to travel. Earred seals also swim with their front flippers using the back flippers as a rudder.

I think all seals are amazing, but my favorite species is the California sea lion which is breed that is often seen in movies due to its high intelligence and trainablity. I know a lot about these amazing creatures, and I hope one day I will have the pleasure to swim among them.

The Nose Knows

Dogs have about twenty times the amount of smell receptors that humans have. We’ve heard of bomb sniffing dogs, but dog noses are being used for much more.

Law enforcement and public safety

Police dogs are trained to distinguish between hundreds of objects including narcotics, weapons, explosives, currency, and people. Dogs are used to check public places such as baseball stadiums to ensure the safety of thousands. One bomb could cause a tragic catastrophe, but bomb sniffing dogs prevent the worst from happening. Drug sniffing dogs can find illegal substances in luggage, cars, and lockers. Dogs can even sniff out large amounts of stolen money.

Rescue

Thousands of lives have been saved by the power of smell. Bloodhounds are used to track missing persons due to their heightened sense of smell which is aided by their drooping ears which funnel the scent to the dog’s nose. They have been known to accurately track a person for miles. Rescue dogs are always kept close to ski lodges in case of an avalanche. The dogs are set free to search for buried skiers while their handlers puncture the snow with long poles to help bring the scent to the surface. When the Twin Towers collapsed in 2001, dogs were used to sniff out people trapped in the debris. Their handlers have said that it was hard to get the dogs to stop searching at the end of the day because they were so determined to find the missing people.


More

Hunters have been using dogs to find game for years, but people are finding more uses for the dog’s powerful nose. Customs agents are using canines to find stowaway animals which could cause ecological damage in a foreign land. Just recently, dogs have even been used to diagnose cancer. Since cancerous cells have a slightly different scent than healthy cells, dogs have been employed to sniff out the exact location of cancerous tumors.

As you watch your dog sniff the ground to search for a nearby squirrel, remember all the dogs in the world that are using the same technique to save lives and keep the world safe.

Pets not Pests

I’ve had rodents living in my basement for years. Before you tell me to hire an exterminator let me tell you that I bought all of them as pets. My father forbid me from getting a dog or cat because he didn’t want an animal running around the house. When I was five, he let me get a guinea pig as a compromise. Her name was Cutesy and I loved her very much. She was my first pet. My dad was happy because she could be kept in a cage away from him, but I was still able to enjoy petting and cuddling her whenever I wanted. Throughout the years, I have had many other guinea pigs and later I was able to enjoy the company of other rodents with a rabbit and a chinchilla. My friend thinks rodents are gross and is afraid of my chinchilla. I’m sure a lot of people think that rodents are pests and would never willingly invite one into their home. Rodents are actually a lot more intelligent than people think and they make wonderful pets.

Rodents are intelligent creatures with the ability to observe and learn. They can recognize different people and often react differently to strangers than they do with their owners. Rodents are very difficult to train, not because they are unintelligent, but because they don’t like to be told what to do. A dog will easily recognize its caregiver as its master and will do anything to please its human. Rodents are able to learn what is unacceptable behavior and will often do it when you’re not looking. I taught my rabbit that chewing on cords and going into my dad’s workroom was bad behavior by picking her up and putting her in her cage when she did it, but they were both activities she enjoyed, so she’d wait until I left the room. I’d often come back to find her in my dad’s room or chewing on a wire. When she saw me, she would take off running because she knew she was in trouble. My chinchilla, Pepper, is a little bit more obedient. He used to chew the piano and entertainment cabinet when we set him loose in the living room to run. After picking him up (which he hates) whenever he chewed we taught him not to do that. Now he very rarely chews on the wood and if, in a moment of weakness, he nibbles, a stern “Pepper!” will stop him in his tracks. Don’t expect to teach them any tricks. Like I said, they’ll do what they want, when they want.

As far as affection goes, there are many rodents who only love you for the food you give them; others will form a strong, loving bond. It really depends on each animal’s individual personality. When choosing one from a pet store or breeder, it’s important to pay attention to how they interact with you at a young age. If they seem interested in you and unafraid, they will make a better pet than the ones who run away. Sometimes, you just have to rely on luck. I’ve had affectionate guinea pigs, and I’ve had food lovers. My first guinea pig would get excited when I came home from school and squeaked at me until I picked her up or pet her. My second guinea pig would run if I tried to touch her, but loved anyone who handed her a slice of apple. The most affectionate pet I had was my lop-eared rabbit, Cotton. She would follow me around the basement, and tug on my pants leg until I bent down to pet her. I’d put her on my lap while I watched TV and she would sit there for hours licking my arm in appreciation. Many rodents do not like to be touched, but form bonds in other ways. They enjoy your company and love to hear your voice. I had one guinea pig who hated to be pet, but got excited when you sat next to the cage and talked to him. My chinchilla is the same way but he also likes to sit on my shoulder and perch. Each rodent will bond with you differently and show affection differently. If you’re lucky, you will have one who loves you like my rabbit did.

While most people try to keep rodents out, I bring them into my home. I’ve had rodents for over ten years and I have loved them all.

This fashion statement should be outlawed

Fur is a popular luxury. To own a fur coat is to own the finest piece of clothing money can buy. But before you purchase that soft winter garment, consider where it came from. People who promote wearing fur say they are “enjoying the fruits of the earth.” Since when does “enjoying the fruits of the earth” mean senselessly killing innocent creatures? If everyone had to make their own fur coats, only a small fraction of people would continue to wear it because those who wear fur now do not see the bloody process that created their garment.

When I tell people I own a chinchilla, few people know what one looks like, but I often get the response of “Don’t they make coats out of those?” and I have even been told, “I don’t know what it is but I do own chinchilla gloves.” So for those of you wearing chinchilla fur, this is what you’re wearing, my loving pet:

Cute isn’t he? His name is Pepper. He’s two years old and very affectionate. Picture 100 of these in one box. Okay, now picture them all dying at the same time. Sad? Well, this just made one coat. That’s right; it takes at least one-hundred chinchillas to make a full fur coat. They are all placed in a box and electrocuted before each is skinned. The bodies are thrown in the trash. Now, my Pepper is lucky to have been born to a breeder and taken home by a loving family who spoils him with constant treats and affection, but he could just have easily been born in the wrong place and made into a glove. Why should 100 harmless and defenseless creatures be killed so that one person can enjoy an expensive coat?

Imagine watching your newborn baby being beaten to death and being unable to save it. This is a horror that thousands of harp seals experience every year. Contrary to popular belief, the seal hunt is still legal in Canada. The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) allows hunters to slaughter baby seals for the fur industry. Two-week-old seal pups are often called "beaters" due to the method hunters use to kill them. Seal pups are separated from their mothers and herded into large groups, they are then beaten to death with clubs or hakapiks (large clubs with metal tips similar to ice picks) but due to their gentle nature, many hunters skip the beating stage. Up to 40% of the seals killed are skinned alive. Mothers who try to defend their young are shot and left to die on the red ice. Between 2002-2003, 286,238 seals were killed. 96.6% of those killed were 12 days to 12 weeks old. Because of humans' greed for their soft white fur, the seal population has greatly decreased. When Europeans first landed in Canada, there were 30 million seals. Only 5 million remain today.

Seals and chinchillas are not the only creatures being slaughtered for their fur. Many other species such as mink, fox, and ermine face the same cruelty. Think about what we are doing. We are literally stealing skin from other creatures and wearing it, and it’s wrong. Millions of animals are dying for no reason other than fashion. So the next time you think about buying furs, remember the gallons of blood spilt to make it. The fur looks better on the animal.

Why Write About Animals

Since a young age, I have been fascinated by the animal kingdom. One of my favorite childhood shows was Steve Irwin: Crocodile Hunter. I was always interested in learning new information about all the species of the world. While we spend our time worrying about building new buildings, electing government officials, and making it to work on time, we tend to ignore the animals that are sharing the same earth. This blog’s purpose is to remind the human population that we share this planet with billions of other creatures.


My fascination with animals came naturally. I was born into an animal free house with a father who hated anything furry. But even at the age of three, I was fascinated by the animals I saw on T.V. and wanted one of my own. After two years of begging my dad for a dog, my mom convinced him to buy me a guinea pig, my very first pet. I have had many pets since then and am always fascinated by every one.

Animals are interesting. They act on instincts, but other times behave just like humans. They come in many different shapes and sizes with a huge range of abilities that surpass even the most athletic humans. The native people of America had a deep respect for animals, believing that each creature had a spirit that was sacred. Today, that respect has been lost, and animal rights are pushed aside as humans populate more land. My father may not like animals, but he respects them. I’m hoping this blog will help people have more respect as well as a better appreciation for the animals of the world.