A Real Halloween Scare

Halloween costumes, pranks and movies are at least make-believe. A recent article in USAToday titled Lions, tigers, big cats may face extinction in 20 years sends more shivers down my spine than any Halloween scare can. The dwindling numbers of African big cats is real.

The article does offer hope. I like the idea of opening up "corridors" between nature reserves in Africa. This would allow the cats to mingle, thereby preserving genetic diversity.

What do you think?

Standing Up for Exotic Animals

The Ohio incident, in which dozens of captive wild animals were released, then subsequently killed by law enforcement officers, is tragic. The only positive thing to come from this story was that the exploitation of exotic animals has come to the forefront in the media.

Born Free USA appeared on various media, including CNN, to discuss this issue. We love and support Born Free and encourage you to read about the media coverage, the issues of keeping exotic animals as "pets" then contact your US senators to pass the Captive Primate Safety Act. This information can all be found in the link above.

All New!

We have added dozens of items to our store this past week, including some old favorites.

Dog Oilcloth Tote Bags. A modern update to an old favorite, these canvas oil cloth tote bags are coated with a special polymer coating. They feature reinforced stitching and a top snap closure. And they are made in the USA.

We have the Chihuahua tote (pictured here), Dachshund tote, Bulldog tote, Pug tote and Yorkie dog tote.

Cat Socks. We have socks featuring cats, cats and more cats. Treat your feet to something special.

Bird Jewelry. We've also added even more bird jewelry. These new pieces are hand-enameled and gold plated. They include Cardinal necklace, Chickadee pin, Chickadee earrings and Goldfinch earrings.

Enjoy shopping with us!

Far Fetched Back in Stock

We added two new Far Fetched styles to our animal lover collection - owl earrings (pictured here); and bee with beehive earrings.

We love Far Fetched not only for their whimsical jewelry, but also because they are made in a fair trade setting by Taxco, Mexico artisans. If you aren't already familiar with fair trade, I encourage you to read about it on the Fair Trade Federation website.

The pieces are .925 sterling silver, and many also include copper and brass. And because of the care that goes into creating each piece, no two are exactly alike.

New Animal Socks

With the colder weather, you'll may be needing new socks. We have new animal socks that are stylish, comfortable - and like our Endangered Lowland Gorilla socks pictured here, make a statement.

Other new animal socks we've added to our store this season include Owl socks, Sea Turtle socks, loving Horse pair socks and colorful Chihuahua socks.

We have an assortment of bird socks, cat socks, dog socks, and wildlife socks, including socks by Laurel Burch.

Why not treat your feet to something special this season!

Oprah and Animals

Oprah Winfrey's O Magazine is on a good roll with regards to animal welfare. In the October issue, O readers learned about Oprah's personal choice not to wear fur - and the magazine's stand against fur. Since inception, the magazine has not featured fur fashion.

I was equally thrilled to see that the November issue has an article called Flight Tracker. It's about biologist Juliana Machado Ferreira and her efforts to rescue birds from the wild bird trade. She uses genetic profiling to ensure that the birds are returned to their proper homes; this is implemented to reduce outbreeding.

There is also a longer article about Lynn Henning's fight against factory farming in her area. I've only skimmed the article so far, and although it seems to focus on the consequences of factory farming on human health, there is also mention of animal suffering. I just picked up the magazine yesterday, but will be reading this article carefully.

O magazine has a history of including pro-animal articles in its pages. I recall reading pieces on Farm Sanctuary, Sheltering Animals of Abuse Victims, as well as stories about women who in some form have a positive impact on animals.

Animal welfare in the mainstream, especially by someone as influential as Oprah. This is a good thing.

Lavishy Environmentally Friendly Wallets

We now offer Lavishy wallets! There is so much to love about them. Aside from being stylish - vibrant, colorful, with embroidery - they are also completely vegan and environmentally friendly.

Made of a custom-made polyurethane, these wallets biodegrade in ten years, which means less stress on the Earth. They have the look of tooled leather, but are completely cruelty free.

We are currently offering three Lavishy designs: Peacock wallet (pictured here), Owl Wallet and Bird Wallet.

Another thing to love about our Lavishy wallets? The price. At $21.95 each, they are a tremendous value, and we believe you will love these as much as we do.