#animal advocate

[truckman816]

Dave Salmoni 🦓🦘🦏

[noisycowboyglitter]

Autism Acceptance Begins with "Embrace Differences" Narwhal Merchandise

Be You, Be Awesome: Embrace Differences with Our Narwhal Friend!

This adorable design features a playful narwhal swimming alongside a group of fish. But wait, something's different! Our narwhal friend has a magnificent horn, making them stand out from the crowd. This isn't a flaw, it's what makes them special!

Buy now:19.95$

This [product type] celebrates the beauty of embracing differences. Just like our narwhal friend, everyone has unique qualities and talents. This design is a reminder to be proud of who you are and celebrate the things that make you special.

It's also a message of acceptance and understanding. We can all learn from each other and appreciate the rich tapestry of experiences and perspectives that make up our world.

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This [product type] is perfect for anyone who wants to spread a message of inclusivity and kindness. It's a great gift for children (and adults!) who may feel different or misunderstood. Let's create a world where everyone feels welcome and celebrated for who they are!

Bonus: Pair this product with a book about narwhals or embracing differences for an extra special gift!

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This eye-catching design features a vibrant puzzle piece, a symbol for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Each piece represents the unique strengths and journeys of autistic individuals. Show your support for autism awareness and celebrate neurodiversity with this stylish [product type]. It's a meaningful gift for parents, grandparents, siblings, or anyone who embraces the incredible abilities found within the autism community.

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Calling all animal enthusiasts! This [product type] is the purrfect way to show off your love for all creatures great and small. Whether you're a dog person, a cat cuddler, or a wildlife champion, this design celebrates the unique bond between humans and animals. Made with [material] (if applicable), this [product type] is a comfortable and stylish way to represent your passion for the furry, feathery, and everything-in-between friends who enrich our lives.

[jadeannbyrne]

Inside of You Are Two Jade Ann Byrnes: Embracing Strength, Resilience, and Empowerment

The Modern eGirl Paladin: Jade Ann Byrne strides confidently through the vibrant streets of California, embodying strength, resilience, and a dynamic, tech-savvy spirit. With black and purple hair, expressive grey eyes, and a style that blends edgy fashion with purpose, she stands as a beacon of empowerment and self-belief. This Jade is a modern warrior, unafraid to challenge norms and advocate…

[superbat-love]

Clark: Bruce, can I ask for a reaaally tiny favor?

Bruce: What is it, Clark?

Clark: How do you feel about a new addition to the Cave? You know, since it’s mostly just you and Alfred. Alfred wouldn't mind some extra company, would he?

Bruce: Alfred enjoys his peace and quiet. Now spit it out.

Clark: Okay, okay! I found a little bat earlier today. He seemed injured and his wing was probably clipped by a car. I patched him up at home, but he needs a safe place to recover. You have plenty of... uh... "bat-friendly" facilities in the Cave, right?

Bruce: My facilities are for surveillance and crimefighting, not wildlife rehabilitation.

Clark: Come on, Bruce! Look at this little guy! [shows him a picture of a fluffy bat with a bandaged wing on top of a Batman pillow]

Bruce: ...It is rather small.

Clark: See? You won’t even notice him! He'd be right at home with the other bats. They can be bat buddies!

Bruce: My "bat buddies" are not pets, Clark. They are wild animals that I try to maintain a respectful distance from.

Clark: Pleaaase? Think about how scared this bat will be out there all alone! He’s just a baby, Bruce! And an orphan.

Bruce: ...

Clark: ...So?

Bruce: ...Fine. But if this bat crashes into my monitors, you're taking full responsibility.

Clark: Yes! Thanks, Bruce! You won't regret this. BB is a very well-behaved bat, you’ll love him. He’d make a great bat spy one day!

Bruce: A Superbat. Cute.

[respect-the-locals]

🐋Daily Cetacean Fact:🐋

Pygmy Sperm Whale: the whales only come to the water’s surface when the sea and weather conditions are very calm. As a result, scientists rarely see pygmy sperm whales at sea. This makes it difficult to estimate their minimum population size or current population trends. They grow to be only 12ft long and can weigh between 700 and 1,000lbs.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

“SeaWorld puts on firework shows despite the detrimental effects on local wildlife” is actually a valid argument and it’s a shame that the wildly outdated “SeaWorld kidnaps wild whales” talking point is what people fall back on.

[starry-bi-sky]

I am of the DPxDC belief/headcanon that any variation of Danny who grew up poor in Gotham during his formative years before moving to Amity Park would not be friends with Sam without friction at first. It makes things more interesting and imo allows for more exploration of different themes plus character growth for Sam that she doesn't really go through in canon.

(this doesn't only apply to a DPDC au where Danny grew up in Gotham poor, but it was the first thing that I thought of where this might happen considering my Childhood Friends au.)

Now Sam's a compassionate girl, it's one of her defining character traits, but so is her hypocrisy and judgy-ness. She's the Not Like Other Girls' girl. This is in part of the show's narrative framing that makes her out like this, unfortunately though its still showing how she is as a character since its consistent enough to be part of her character description. There are also times where the show's depiction of her activism makes it look like she's performative about it. All of this makes her dynamic with a Danny who grew up poor in Gotham very interesting.

Anyways, Sam is aware of her privilege to an extent, but still has her blindspots - glaring ones, in some cases. Her self-righteous attitude would not go over well with a crime alley kid Danny. He'd like her, at first, but then she'd do something to make him mad - personally I think her judging people for not being vegan would annoy him the most, or at least would be the breaking point for him, because it was only recently that his family started actually being able to consistently put food on the table at all, good food nonetheless. And being vegan is expensive.

Any other behavior he noticed from her he'd slowly stop tolerating - her judging conventionally attractive girls and automatically assuming they're vapid and shallow for being feminine. Her anti-capitalist beliefs start coming off as superficial at worst, and Danny would eventually figure out that Sam either came from a family that was well off, or that she wasn't aware if her family was experiencing financial struggle.

He would still be friends with Tucker, but since Tucker imo is still friends with Sam, they'd still run into each other often enough to butt heads. Sam's got a nasty habit of refusing to take responsibility when she's wrong, but when Danny is arguing with her, and counterpointing her with stuff she can't retort back at without compromising her own beliefs, then forces her to start reflecting on herself. Especially when Tucker eventually starts siding with Danny and agreeing with him.

Does sam genuinely care about her beliefs and philosophies? Survey says yes. However that doesn't mean she's not ignorant, and she definitely is at times throughout the show (like when she released the purpleback gorilla thinking it 'wanted out of its enclosure' despite the fact that it was endangered and in an urban area) and I think it'd be a real fascinating dynamic between Danny and Sam to explore.

This isn't Sam hate btw, nor am I trying to make her out like "the worst person ever" bc she's not, i wanna make that explicitly clear. Sam Manson has a lot of positive traits about her but she also has an equal amount of negative traits that I think should be explored, she is not immune to the character development.

[risoria]

I’m so goddamn tired. I hate it here so fucking badly. I hate it here. It’s 2024. We know better and yet we are pushing these ads and these dogs everywhere, STILL - why do we as a society love animal cruelty so much?? I will never understand.

I’m going to be brutally honest - people are stupid. People will not open their phones to google for three minutes before buying an expensive dog, that lives for 15 years - and media affects people IMMENSELY. Remember how everyone and their mom got a husky (an extremely hard dog to keep, because they’re working sled dogs) after game of thrones? How every single child got a rat after ratattouille, and how most likely a lot of them were abandoned? This happens with frenchies and pugs as well because they are featured EVERYWHERE.

”Oh wow its so ugly i love it ;;” ”Oh it’s so cute I want one!!” No. Dogs who need surgery where you cut their nostrils open just to be able to breathe a /little/ better is not something you should want or support. Animal cruelty is not something you should want or support.

This is a chart for assessing stenotic (pinched) nares in brachycephalic dogs. The open nares seen here are not even actual normal nares - this is what they look like in non-brachy dogs.

There is no other way to say this: these dogs can’t breathe. That’s why they make noises like little pigs - they can’t actually get sufficient air into their lungs because their airways are so closed. They are partially suffocating - every single minute of every day.

Here’s the reasons why:

- the nostrils are closed. you can see how hard and panic-inducing it is to ”breathe” like that by pinchig your own nostrils for a little while. it’s very common to have surgery to cut the nostrils open - but even if it might help a little bit they’re only ONE reason why these dogs suffer

- the face is flattened - this is why the tongue cant actually fit in their mouths, which of course makes the tongue constantly dry and uncomfortable. they also have teeth problems because, again, the teeth literally cant fit in their mouths. they also can’t cool down the way dogs normally do by panting - because the area in their nasal cavity where this happens is extremely small. this, together with the breathing issue, makes them extremely prone to over-heating and dying as a result.

- their soft palates are, again, too big for their mouths and make the dogs’ airways more closed as a result. surgery to cut this soft tissue away is common.

- their laryngeal sacculis are often inverted - think of a pocket of your trousers that is turned inside out. these sacs are located in the back of the throat and further obstruct the airways

- laryngeal collapse is also not uncommon

- their tracheas are VERY thin. That’s why breeding for a different type of bulldog and pug etc is important and thats why ONLY opening the nares and lengthening the snout is not the answer - if the trachea is the dimension of a straw, they will still be unable to breathe properly - and you can’t assess this without image diagnostics, of course…

- because these dogs struggle to breathe and are prone to over-heating they can have trouble exercising and this easily get overweight. The extra fat will collect around the neck, amongst other places, and this can pinch the anatomy of the throat and airways of the neck even further

- some symptoms of BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) that people find ~cute and unique include:

-> snoring loudly and snorting when breathing. This is because of the obstructed airways and means they struggle to breathe both while asleep and while exercising/walking

-> ”smiling” (pulling corners of the mouth up) and rolling the tip of the tongue is something seen when the dog is labouring to breathe

-> these dogs often find toys to keep in their mouths when they sleep - this is not normal, they do this deliberately because they can’t breathe.

-> these dogs are the ONLY dogs who will be happy about having a tube inserted into their trachea while undergoing surgery. Normally you remove this the second the dog starts to come to - because it is extremely uncomfortable having essentially a straw inside your airways - but for brachy dogs they enjoy being able to breathe fairly comfortably and they will sit fully awake with the tube for long periods of time. It’s heartbreaking.

PLEASE don’t get these dogs and please call out advertisements etc promoting them - because we all know that they are already extremely popular and that marketing sells even more of them. It’s downright evil, and it’s animal cruelty in the name of ~marketing. Yes of course there’s a lot of them in shelters needing adoption - BUT it’s very important to know what you’re getting into. A lot of these dogs DO need surgery to be able to breathe at least partially, and these are invasive and very expensive.

This was just off the top of my head but here’s a link with more info -> BOAS in dogs

[veinsfullofstars]

✨ Speedy, sharp, and stylish! ✨

(ID: Kirby series fanart of Shadow Kirby hanging out and interacting with Spinni. Top left - Spinni and a Ninja-clad SK flinging their weapons - a shuriken and a kunai respectively - through the air, the rat leaping up with a confident smile, the puffball stepping forward with a determined shout. Bottom left - continuation of the previous image, the shrunken and kunai embedded in the center circle of a bull's-eye target, Spinni and SK standing triumphant in front of it, jumping up to meet in a high-five. Top right - SK and Spinni sparring, the puffball clad in Animal gear and fiercely swiping down with a sharp set of claws, the rat leaping away with a cocky grin, swinging his own large metal rake claws high into the air. Bottom right - Spinni and SK standing back to back with their arms crossed, looking cool and confident with a pair of matching triangular sunglasses. END ID.)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 (you’re here!) | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Compilation

Sketch started btw 12/23 - 05/24, render started 05/25/24, finished 05/28/24, updated for color correction 11/02/24.

[cyanocoraxx]

whilst i’m here. i don’t like this growing trend of treating exotic bugs and spiders like toys or props to make “viral” videos and such. the amount of videos i see floating around showing people irresponsibly handling tarantulas (especially old worlds!!!) high off the ground, bothering jumping spiders constantly because they’re cute and not providing them with enough enrichment, etc etc. tarantulas gain nothing from being handled and you put them at risk of injury or death if they fall or if you flinch and drop them. jumping spiders are adorable, but that doesn’t mean they should be poked and prodded for videos all the time like i’ve seen some people doing. yeah, they’re really cool, fascinating and a lot of people are adverse to these animals, but it doesn’t give you the right to treat those animals like props. they’re still wild creatures, they still deserve to have peace, and most importantly they need to be safe. that’s your responsibility and they owe you nothing in return!

yes, handle at your own risk. yes, some tarantulas and trues may harmlessly walk onto your hand and allow you to hold them. that doesn’t mean you should wave them around in front of a camera for likes and comments telling you how cool and brave you are for putting your animal at risk. sorry to be the fun police or whatever but come on. advocate for your animals so that people know that they’re not monsters, but advocate for them in a way that’s fair to your animal and honest to your viewers.

the only inverts i actively handle are one of my jumping spiders and both of my mantids and i do so entirely on their terms. if they want to come onto my hand they can, if they want to go home they can. i know each of them very well and know their limits and boundaries. my peacock mantis for example seems to appreciate being held where they can observe the room around them. my L3 thistle mantis doesn't like having hands close to her or above her as she's very small, and she prefers to jump onto a finger on her terms. my phidippus regius spiderling is shy and needs plenty of time to work up to jumping onto a finger from above, but once she’s settled she seems to like the warmth of my hand. my phidippus octopunctatus jumper doesn't want to be handled or touched, that's fine and i give her plenty of space.

just respect your inverts for the wild animals they are

[xinyuehui]

With the progression of Scissor Seven Season 5, will '七qi' and '柒qi' become two separate individuals?

Interview with He Xiaofeng (director) & Zou Shasha (producer) Clip taken from AHAMOMENT WeChat channel

[kaurwreck]

"there was no reason/no point to that scene" / "that has nothing to do with her ability" the point is that yosano akiko penned erotic tanka with the same hand, heart, and wit with which she penned women are plunder and you shall not be killed, brother. the point is that anger and passion and eroticism and ardent love for life need not be wholly distinct.

bones, differently from but similar to the manga and light novels, intertwines yosano's healing and eroticism as facets of her passions. her fervency for the sanctity of life, her purring affection for viscera, and her lust comingle because they are not wholly separable, their roots entangling in the core of who she is.

in her own words:

Friends, please don't ask whatever remains of love. And don't preach to me. Let our poetry endure. It is the cross we bear.

***

Ignoring the ways of right or wrong, eternal life or lasting fame, we turn to face each other, loved and lover, face to face.

***

In return for all the sins and crimes of men, the gods created me with glistening long black hair and pale, inviting skin.

[from A River of Stars: Selected Poems of Yosano Akiko]

[genericpuff]

And with that, 2000 years of history and 10+ years of an animated adaption later, Attack on Titan is over.

I wasn't planning on making an essay post about this but like all of my essay posts, it got crazy out of hand, so here we are. I have a lot to say on it and the more I wrote, the more I realized exactly what the Attack on Titan finale was about. It's cathartic. It's also kind of a big shitpost but not for the reasons you might think.

Spoilers for the Attack on Titan finale ahead! CW: DISCUSSION OF WAR AND GENOCIDE AHEAD!

Now for anyone who knows what I'm about to talk about (and anyone who follows my stuff here), I'm sure you're wondering , what side do I fall on in regards to Attack on Titan's ending? Am I about to talk shit about it? It's very divisive and somewhat inconclusive. It followed the exact ending in the manga which, while expected, was still disappointing to many who had hoped the anime would take some other path.

But I have to ask, could there have been any other way?

Eren committed mass genocide, bordering on extinction of the entire human race. There was no way that he was gonna come out of it redeemed or as a hero, and he knew it. He went straight up Walter White core here and like Walter White, he is not a hero.

The fact that the Marlayans have been constantly going to war with other countries using Eldians as their personal soldiers goes to show that for countries that seek out conquest, there's no target too small or insignificant that can't be marked as an "enemy", and we see that reflected in Eren as well, in his pursuing of "freedom", an ever-moving goalpost that can never truly be satisfied.

The Jaegerists were hellbent on creating a new empire on the bloodshed of Marley - 'an eye for an eye', so to speak.

Nothing was ever going to truly satisfy either 'side' in the conflict of humanity vs. Eldians because such conflicts' origins have been obfuscated in hundreds of years of history, propaganda, and generational trauma that has repeated itself for so long that many don't even know what they're fighting for anymore, aside from one thing - that they don't want to suffer, that they shouldn't have to suffer for the actions of their ancestors, that they want peace and happiness but don't know where to start with taking the first step.

I think people are disappointed in this ending because, let's face it, it's anime, and it's an anime adaption that took years to finish. We always want to see some kind of vindication from stories like these, but I think in having vindication, it ultimately removes the point altogether of what's being said.

As much as we may try to fight it, try to deny it, the course of human history travels in a circle. Conflict will always arise. History is written by the victors, and those victors will be seen as heroes by whichever side they're fighting for regardless of what heinous acts they may have committed to justify their salvation. And after all of that conflict, regardless of the result - time goes on, and new conflicts arise.

But I don't think that means we have to succumb to grief and suffering and that's a point that I'm seeing missed in a lot of the discussion around the finale. There's a very powerful scene between Armin and Zeke, in which Armin talks about how he was born to run up the hill with Mikasa and Eren. He recognizes fully that if his life isn't meant to be long, he can still cherish those small moments that he thinks back on fondly, the moments that defined his life with the people he cared about.

And that's really all life is. Small moments and experiences that stick with us until the end. The very act of being born in and of itself is a cosmic miracle that gives us the chance to experience things that bring us joy and stay with us forever - however short or long that 'forever' may be. We take these small moments for granted when we're comfortable, but we look for them the most when we're suffering.

If I can relate all this to another piece of media that says the same thing - albeit with a much brighter ending - FF XIV: Endwalker also asks a similar question to Attack on Titan - is the only meaning in life to suffer and die? Of course, by its end, we learn that while death and suffering is an inevitable part of life - not something that should be avoided - it shouldn't persuade us to give in to fear and despair as a constant state of being. And I think Attack on Titan goes for a very similar approach, albeit slightly more as a cautionary tale - a nihilistic reminder that ultimately, the losses and victories we find in our current point of history are still just that, a single point, a blip that will be forgotten until it's ultimately repeated, and there's no escaping that.

It cautions us that freedom cannot exist without constant vigilance for war and conflict. It cautions us that our values and core beliefs for attaining freedom, love and happiness can be twisted into a weapon to cause harm, vindication gained at the cost of another. It cautions us that when left in the wrong hands, power can and will be abused by the ignorant while propagandizing itself as "the greater good".

So why not just find the joy that we can? The friendships, the little moments, the things that bring us happiness even if only temporary. Conflict is inevitable, suffering is inevitable, but that doesn't mean life isn't worth living. "Happiness" is not a tangible end point - it's the side effect of living a meaningful life that's true to yourself.

Attack on Titan is over. Some will argue the ending was the only way, others will argue that there could have been another way and that the anime adaption had the chance to change it but still didn't for reasons beyond their comprehension.

But isn't that the whole point? We'll argue. We'll bargain. Many of the arguments made will reinforce our own beliefs further rather than sway us. Many of us will insist there had to be another way, just as Armin insisted that this couldn't have been the only way, that humanity must have had another option. Meanwhile, many of us will acknowledge that at the end of the day, this is the story Isayama wanted to tell, and regardless of whether or not it makes him an idiot toying with his audience and admitting defeat by lampshading it in the penultimate scene of Eren admitting to his own idiocy, this was the power given to him and he used it in the best way he knew how.

Much like in any conflict, there's one thing that unites both sides - the human need for joy, connection, and freedom.

We might not agree on how Attack on Titan ended, but we can agree that it was a hell of a ride, and I hope we can all agree that it was worth riding, even if it wasn't satisfying for everyone in the end. It brought many people together regardless of their backgrounds, experiences, and differences, and connected them through something they all loved for over ten years. And despite how big a part of our lives it was, life will still go on, and we'll move on to other things to watch, enjoy, and argue over. Isayama will move on to whatever awaits him next, knowing fully well that his choice was his own, that he created the series he wanted to create regardless of how people feel about it. We'll all look for our own forms of joy and happiness as life moves on around us, as conflicts come and go.

Isn't that really what freedom is at the end of the day?

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Shouko Komi from Komi can't communicate!

Komi has a communication disorder and is nonspeaking. She is also an AAC user, primarily using a notepad and pencil to communicate. While it is not canon, many people see her as having autism in addition to her communication disorder.

Negative stereotypes? While some take issue with the fact that her classmates see her as "above them" and treat her like a god-like figure, others love a positive representation of communication disorders and appreciate that she is not harassed/hated by her peers.

[futch-disaster]

giving puppysubs gender euphoria by beating them like a dog <3

[respect-the-locals]

🪼Daily Cnidarian Fact:🪼

Bloodybelly Comb Jellyfish: The blood-red stomach disguises the glowing prey inside. Many of the deep-sea animals the bloody-belly comb jelly preys upon can bioluminesce, or create their own light. The translucent predator needs to conceal its stomach—or risk its most recent meal lighting it up from the inside out and alerting potential predators to its whereabouts. Red is nearly invisible in the deep sea, so the vibrant crimson that gives this comb jelly its name is actually helping it hide from its predators.