I'd rather go naked than wear down or fur

Welcome to our first video!

It's been cold and snowy in Lakewood. A lot of snow in the last couple of days.

I decided to make a quick video. Although I would have loved to do it in front of a fur store, my chances of getting arrested were a lot less by doing it in my backyard.

I wanted to remind people that they do not need down or fur to be warm.

Animals who are part of the fur and down industries, well they are tortured, beaten, go through intense pain, and live in fear.

My winter jacket is down-free. I got it from Patagonia. They also sell down jackets but have some awesome non-down versions.

Like I say in the video, if you love even just one kind of animal, you do not want to buy down or fur. You just don't want to be a part of that!

I hope you like the video. It's my first.

Thanks for reading and for watching the video!

A simple request can help animals

Our lives are so busy and sometimes it can be easy to forget that in this crazy world, a simple request can help animals.

I have been thinking of this for a couple of days now.

In my day job I am a fundraiser for an agency that serves homeless youth. A local group wanted to do a fundraiser for us, in the form of a fashion show. I was thrilled. Who doesn't love a fashion show? Awesome music, great fashion and underwear models!

I wasn't even thinking of the animal cruelty aspect. At least in Denver, most fashion shows are pretty archaic and backwards, and include fur. Real fur. From tortured animals who lived their entire lives in fear and pain.

I didn't want to be any part of a fashion show from the 19th century.

This event was being planned by friends of the agency I work for, not by me directly. I asked to have a conversation with the person inviting designers and models, not knowing how that would go.

In the conversation, with the planners present, I brought up my personal feelings around fur and why I would be thrilled if our fashion show did not include fur.

No problem.

At all.

We get it.

I know the folks planning the event so I was not surprised at all. Just thrilled.

There are times when it is easy to get overwhelmed by all of the horrible things happening around the world, in the US, in our own communities. It can also be easy to forget that seemingly small, simple conversations or actions can have a huge affect, an affect that can go on and on.

Thanks for reading!

Voices for the Voiceless

In the past week I have seen two videos posted that make me incredibly sad and incredibly angry at the same time.


I decided not to post them.


One is of a dog being skinned alive for her fur.


The other is of a sheep being beaten to death with a baseball bat by US service members in Iraq or Afghanistan.


Both are hugely disturbing and yet acceptable in our culture.


I know the gang mentality and still am heartbroken that not one of those service members either left or tried to get the others to stop. Gang violence pure and simple. It is thoroughly disgusting.


The dog and the sheep never had a chance. In fact, the dog is wagging her tail just before being tied to a pole to be skinned alive. The sheep has no clue as to what is happening and simply tries to get away. I can only imagine the fear and pain experienced by both of these beautiful creatures.


We must be voices for the voiceless.


Not only is this violence and torture abhorrent, just think of what type of human beings these people are.


The dog was skinned alive to provide fur trim. There is no information as to why she was skinned alive. Speaking out against fur trim is an easy action.


Being a voice for the sheep is a tougher action. One could complain to the White House and I believe with the You Tube video going viral there is a petition.


Being a voice for the voiceless is part of who Mike and I are. I believe it's part of who you are if you're a reader of our blog. It's something people like us just have to do. We have to speak out, on every level. This post is specifically about one dog and one sheep, but there are many things we can speak out against. We simply have to.


Thanks for reading. I know this was a tough one but I just had to write about it.