Over 250 Animals Right Activists Take Action To Make West Hollywood The First Fur Free City in the USA
January 31, 2011 by Esteban "Steven" Escobar
Filed under Breaking News, Community, Events, News
On Saturday, January 29, 2011 over 250 animal rights activists and concerned citizens, young and old stood side by side in the Matthew Shephard Memorial Triangle Park on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Crescent Heights in West Hollywood, California to rally for a fur-free West Hollywood.
With this ground-breaking action, the City of West Hollywood could become the first completely fur free city in the United States, leading as an example for the rest of the world to follow. The progressive city of “WeHo” was the first town to pass an anti-declaw bill and all out ban on live pet sales in the nation. With WeHo referring to human companions of animals as “guardians” instead of the past term, “owners,” it’s no wonder that they would make this unprecedented move to have an entirely fur free environment. Award winning director and animal rights attorney Shannon Keith said “in 1989 West Hollywood signed a resolution to make an animal cruelty-free zone, and it can’t be an animal cruelty-free zone unless they stop the selling of fur.”
To help make this happen, John D’Amico has stepped up to the plate, supporting the fur free message in his campaign for West Hollywood City Council. He is going to focus on this legislation while in office and be a continual advocate for a fur free world. He said that “West Hollywood has the opportunity to once again be a leader for animal welfare by becoming the first fur-free city in the nation.” D’Amico continued, “We have pledged to be a place that is free of cruelty to animals and we can no longer support the barbaric fur trade by selling the products of that cruelty in our city.”
Ed Buck, one of the organizers of “Fur Free WeHo,” said “This campaign is not just about banning fur but promoting West Hollywood as the capital of fur-free fashion, especially in its boutique district that includes a Stella McCartney store, which already shuns furs.” Buck was instrumental in helping get the ordinance passed which bans the sale of puppy mill animals in pet stores.
The initiative would make West Hollywood the first fur-free community in the United States and possibly the world. Hit Recording Artist Fawn commented “West Hollywood has always been a city ahead of it’s time, and the time is NOW to stop killing helpless and loving animals for their fur. The vanity of the fashion industry is utter insanity. People who wear real fur and even some faux furs have blood on their hands.”
Fawn walked through the crowd and streets, turning heads and hearts with a stark reminder written on a double-sided sign, adorned over her stunning rescued white wolf dog Coda, which read “15 of me = 1 fur coat” and “My father died for your fur coat.” When resident Deanne Sire saw the sign, she said “I guess I never thought of my fur having been a living being and having had a dad.”
Actor Bill McNamara stated “Fur is definitely something we need to abolish, there is no reason that anybody today, in America needs to wear fur. It symbolized meanness of spirit. There is no other reason to wear it.”
New York Times Best Selling Author, Rory Freedman agreed with McNamera, sporting a shirt which read “Mean People Wear Fur.” Freedman explained, “Amongst other horrors, animals killed for their fur are subject to neck-breaking, strangulation, drowning, and anal or vaginal electrocution. Some are even skinned alive. All this so people with low self esteem can wear this shit and someone can make a few bucks selling it? Totally unacceptable and completely unnecessary.” She added, “I am thrilled that John D’Amico is making this issue his running platform and that West Hollywood can set a precedent for other cities to follow. Real change is not only possible, it’s imminent.”
Lords Of Acid vocalist Lacey Conner declared “The fur industry will never make itself humane and the only way to stop the fur industry is to make it go out of business.” She continue, “Don’t buy fur, if no one bought fur, the fur industry would go out of business and this mistreatment would not happen. I’m just asking people to please take a few minutes to to find out what is really going on.”
Film Producer Shannon Keith pointed out, “We have an election coming up on March 8th and it’s a great time to vote for the candidate that has a platform against fur. Once we get those candidates in place in city council, we will be able to move forward with this.”
“This is not about punishment or shame, it’s about really thinking creatively about how we live in the world and taking action and stopping the barbaric actions of harvesting fur, and really looking at who we are as individuals and as a people and West Hollywood is a great place for this to start.” Concluded Candidate John D’Amico.
To find out more go to www.ourWEHO.com, www.arme.tv and www.uncagedfilms.com
Photos courtesy & (C) 2011 by Brenda Calvillo, Ciddy Fonteboa, Gary Smith, Gene Blalock, Vicki Melton, Mary Cummins and FFD Images.
Editor’s Note: JR, Special Writer/Correspondent contributed to this story. Also story first published on January 30, 2011 on Examiner.com at http://www.examiner.com/events-in-los-angeles/over-250-animals-right-activists-take-action-to-make-weho-fur-free-city-usa
Writer’s Corner: How do you feel about FUR. Do you like animals to be killed in pain? Many farms are killing the animals alive in a brutal way. They take away their skin to make clothes for us and make a profit? How do you feel about it? Please leave your comments.
About Esteban Escobar
Executive Editor In Chief, Director of Public/Media Relations & Community Affairs, Sales, Reporter, Webmaster & Graphic Designer Specialist. About Esteban “Steven” Escobar: Esteban A. Escobar (born in El Salvador, Central America on September 6th) is an Award Winning American (Journalist, reporter, editor, columnist, writer, producer, director, publicist, radio personality, accounts receivable specialist, humanitarian and philanthropist). Esteban is known as Steven Escobar. He is the Executive Editor-In-Chief of Diversity News Magazine, an online & special print consumer news magazine that is visited by close to two million visitors a month while growing each day. Esteban “Steven” Escobar is also Producer, Director of Diversity News TV, the host of Diversity News Radio, on Air with Steven Escobar and the President of Diversity News Publications, a news/entertainment multimedia firm in Hollywood, CA. Steven Escobar owns E.E.Enterprises and an affiliate of The Diversity News Publications Family of Companies. Steven Escobar is also the official Hollywood and Los Angeles County Events Examiner for Examiner.com and contributor for Yahoo.com distributed via Yahoo Voices. Steven Escobar also gives back to the community by helping charities, and since 2003 to the present, he has been raising money and awareness for AIDS Walk LA benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles. Also in 2011 Steven Escobar raised money and awareness for The Life Group LA and volunteered for Exotifit For Humanity and The Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Steering Committee. Steven was nominated for The Shorty Awards 2011 and the People’s Choice Fan Award 2012. In 2012 Steven Escobar receives the Humanitarian Award at the 2012 International Noble Awards. Also on June 2, 2012 Steven Escobar Received the Community and Humanitarian Services Award at Kayamanan ng Bayan for all his contributions to the Filipino American community in Southern California. On 12-12-12 Steven Escobar received Award for Most Fascinating Person of the Year 2012. On 2-22-2013 Steven Escobar is nominated for a 2013 EOTM Award (Entrepreneurs on the Move) for Outstanding Journalist and on April 25, 2013 receives nomination for 2013 EOTM Award for Outstanding Internet Radio. On April 4, 2013 Steven Escobar receives award for Diversity News TV “Best B-Roll." Yahoo.com names Steven Escobar the Hot 500 contributors during the month of March 2012 of Yahoo! Contributor Network. Steven Escobar currently resides in Los Angeles County in the City of Hollywood, CA. For more information visithttp://www.stevenescobar.diversitynewspublications.com, http://www.stevenescobar.blogspot.com or his IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4164655/
Cindy Landon and Jennifer Pryor Help Raise Funds For Sanctuary
November 16, 2010 by News Staff
Filed under Entertainment, Featured
By JR, Special for Diversity News Magazine, published by Diversity News Publications
Saturday, November 13, 2010 Celebrities and Animal Rights Supporters came out for an exclusive A.R.M.E. (Animal, Rescue, Media and Education) and Uncaged Films fundraiser for their latest docufilm, “Sanctuary” directed by multi-award winning Shannon Keith and produced by Shannon Keith, Gene Blalock, Alec Pedersen and Ellen Lavinthal.
The cocktail attired event was graciously held at the Lavinthal estate and ran from 5-midnight. The $250.00 tax deductible ticket included a red carpet, drinks, catered food by One World Veggie Cuisine, auction items and screening of never-before seen footage of the film currently in production. Sanctuary documents the lives, incredible escape and survival of a few different primates from captivity – Udi, Puchi, Chucky, Moses, Chi Chi and Jimmy Sr., to name a few. When the short version of the film was finished rolling, there wasn’t a dry eye in the theater. The docufilm is about the will to live with innocent lives interrupted by tragedy, heroes and hope. Through a series of challenges each individual tale touches us in a different way from torture, enslavement, deprivation, mutilation and eventually safety and happiness. Enter Sanctuary – an inspirational and heart-warming glimpse into the lives of our primate brothers and sisters up close and personal. The docufilm unveils the sadness, pain and eventual hope and inspiration that transforms hopelessness into hope, and sadness into gratitude. The beginnings of the film are Inspirational, heart-warming and take you where no film has ever gone.
Notables in attendance were Zoli Teglas from Pennywise, Annimal Allience Big TV host Ellen Lavinthal, Cindy Landon, Jennifer Pryor, Grammy Considered Recording Artist and 2010 HMMA Nominee Fawn, Producer of the Cove Alec Pedersen, Wendy Dio, Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary Founder Kari Bagnall, 2010 Peta Award Winner Christina Cho, Actress/Activist Ciddy Fonteboa, LCA Investigator Bryan Monell, Publicist Steven Escobar, and Suzanne Takowsky with Beverly Hills Times, among others.
To donate to the making of this film go to www.arme.tv.
About ARME:
ARME’s mission is to eliminate the suffering of all animals. This goal is achieved by rescuing unwanted and homeless animals and by educating the public of the vast extent of the suffering animals endure in our society. Through its actions and words, ARME advances the freedom of all animals.
Editor’s Note: Very Special Thank you to Recording Artist, Philanthropists and Actress Fawn. Also to Shannon Keith and the cast of “Sanctuary”.
