As Christmas draws closer, we have been busy decorating and turning our attention to Veganuary content. This week, we have been considering whether perfume is vegan and considering why vegans always have to tell everyone they’re vegan. For those living busy lives, we have gathered all the top vegan news and stories from around the web and compiled them into easily digestible reads…
Survey Finds 87% of Vegans Have Had At Least One Covid Vaccine
Research from the Vegan Society has found that 87% of vegans in the U.K. have had at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 62% have had two doses. The research, which was carried out between September and October this year, involved 1,500 vegans from all over the U.K. Of these, 10% had not yet had a dose of the vaccine but wanted to, while just 4% had chosen to remain unvaccinated. The top reasons for refusing the Covid-19 vaccines were distrust, fear and ethical reasons. While the Vegan Society is not against vaccinations, some vegans decline them on ethical grounds since it is a legal requirement for vaccines to be tested on animals.
Subway Launches Plants in Blankets Sandwich as Part of Its Christmas Menu
Sandwich chain Subway has launched a limited edition P.I.B. (Plants in Blankets) sandwich as part of its Christmas menu, which will be sold in selected stores across the U.K. The sandwich contains a vegan sausage wrapped in vegan bacon and drizzled with a maple syrup glaze, served with ketchup. As usual with Subway sandwiches, customers can also customise the sub with salad, toppings and their favourite sauces. The vegan Christmas sub was developed by the chain to provide a vegan alternative to their Pig Tiger Sub. The new sub is available at selected stores until December 28th.
Australian Vet Clinic Appeals for Funds to Sue Vegan Activist
A vet clinic in Australia is attempting to raise $150,000 AUD to sue vegan activist Tash Peterson. The animal rights activist visited the clinic in Perth, Australia, back in September to accuse the clinic of advertising animal slavery by displaying two caged birds outside their premises.
The clinic owners, Andrew and Kay Mcintosh, have launched a GoFundMe page to attempt to raise the amount of money required to take civil action against Tash Peterson. According to The Daily Mail, footage of the incident shows the activist having a discussion with the receptionist, stating that she doesn’t understand how a vet clinic could promote animal slavery. The employee disagreed with the activist and asked her to leave the premises after explaining that the birds would not be able to look after themselves if they were freed since they had been captive for 14 years.
The activist, who visited the clinic along with her partner, continued to question the staff about animal rights issues before being accused of harassment. She later posted the footage on her Facebook page and revealed she was visited by the police 30 minutes later, who issued her with a notice banning her from the clinic.
The clinic has launched defamation action against the activist, her partner and her business in the Supreme Court of Western Australia. The fundraising campaign has so far raised over $2,000 AUD, and the fundraiser has said the incident made several members of the clinic feel ‘extremely traumatised’. They argue that the incident and the ‘defamatory comments’, which have subsequently been published on Facebook, are detrimental to the business and its team members.
Poll Reveals 68% of Brits in Favour of Meat and Dairy Product Labels Reflecting Animal Welfare
A poll commissioned by charity Compassion in World Farming has revealed that 68% of Brits are in favour of new labels on meat and dairy products which would reflect how the products were produced in relation to animal welfare.
1,990 UK citizens were involved in the survey in which they were asked about their views surrounding the production of animal products. They were asked whether they thought the dairy and meat products should carry labels showing the conditions in which the animals were reared, similarly to those on egg cartons.
68% of participants agreed that production methods should be clear on product labelling, while just 14% said they didn’t agree, and 18% were unsure. These results show that the majority of Brits want clear labelling on animal products.
The U.K. Government is Considering Allowing Gene Editing to be Used by The Livestock Industry in England
Gene-editing technology has been used by scientists to crease female or male-only litters of mice. It is claimed the technology could prevent the slaughter of millions of animals each year, which are killed soon after birth because they are not deemed to be ‘useful’ due to their sex. This occurs in laboratories as well as in the animal agriculture industries. For example, in the egg industry, millions of male chicks are destroyed soon after hatching because they are not capable of laying eggs and are, therefore, not profitable to the industry.
The government is considering allowing the livestock industry in England to use gene-editing technology on ‘animal welfare’ grounds. An independent report has stated that animal welfare must be at the heart of any relaxation on the current rules, which do not allow gene editing on farm animals. Peter Stevenson, who co-authored the report and is the chief policy advisor for Compassion in World Farming, has stated that he is wary of gene editing due to concerns that the technology may be used to entrench the factory farming of livestock. However, he has supported it for the purposes of selecting the sex of chickens on the grounds that it will prevent the deaths of millions of chicks.
Of course, from a vegan perspective, the most effective way to prevent deaths of this kind is simply to switch to a plant-based diet.
That brings an end to our weekly vegan news bulletin. If you’re yet to start Christmas shopping, don’t panic, as we have got you covered. Head over and check our vegan Christmas gift guides for plenty of inspiration, no matter who you’re buying for.