Blimey, those charming British Royals are just a delight, aren’t they? Uh, no. Lately they’ve been racking up quite a record of animal abuse, well, just because they can. Actually, as British citizens, they’re just as likely to be cited for harming animals as anyone else, as Princess Ann discovered six years ago after her dog attacked two kids.
But it does take more of an effort to bring them to justice than the average UKer. Noblesse oblige and all that.

The latest disturbing incident involved young Prince Edward, on a pheasant hunt (already I’m losing sympathy with this boy) beating his hunting dogs while they stood over a dead pheasant. This attack could have serious consequences for the prince—like six months in jail—if he’s found guilty. But the RSPCA is so far reluctant to examine the evidence seriously. Brits just love their monarchs and hate to rattle their gilded cages.

A few years ago Prince Edward actually beat an injured pigeon to death with a stick, and no legal action was taken (well, it was a pigeon, for gawd’s sake!). And there have been other abusive incidents involving his father and brother giving animals the short end of the stick.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/3998907/Prince-Edward-faces-possible-RSPCA-probe-for-beating-dogs.html

Are the new baby seal hunt rules created by the Canadian government at all helpful to the seals at the center of the controversy, or is it just a ruse to get those pesky animal welfare advocates off its back during the coming hunting season and prevent an expensive EU import ban?

The rules appear to slow down the blood bath because seal killers now need to make sure the animals are actually dead before they’re skinned. Novel idea, huh? The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has protested that seals shot in the water cannot immediately be approached to make sure they’re dead, thus causing more animal suffering. But the seal killers, on the other hand, are complaining because they don’t want to put themselves in mortal danger by having to walk on unstable sea ice to perform a “death test”, even though the new rules still allow inhumane gaff hooks to haul injured baby seals into their boats.

Then there’s the matter of hakapiks, or the spiked clubs used to kill baby seals by crushing their skulls. The new rule only protects seals one year or older from being struck with a hakapik before being shot, and they constitute only about 1% of the annual slaughter. It’s a nasty, ugly business no matter how you regulate it. Read more about it here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i6fxIzVfqrvuq5IUgnOmyXOsTDmA

And lastly, as part of my continuing effort to educate my fellow Xombies on the joys of soy, here’s a handy-dandy guide to the healthy and delectable soy products out there awaiting your examination, from soymilk to textured soy protein to edamame. Try them, you’ll like them!

http://www.cosnano.com/2008/12/a-consumers-guide-to-soy-terms/