Dear Friends,

Now, more than ever, the pigs of Australia need your help!

They need every caring Australian who believes that farm animals should live in paddocks, not prisons, to make the Pro Pig Pledge!!

Yesterday - Animals Australia, in conjunction with Sydney based animal protection organisation Voiceless, The Berg Family Foundation and Hunter Hall International Ltd, launched the largest ever national advertising campaign to highlight the suffering of pigs in factory farms. This unique alliance was formed knowing that the cruel pork industry has prospered through consumer ignorance, and that due to legal exemptions based on 'commercial considerations', pigs are being subjected to practices and procedures that would be classed as cruelty offences if they were committed against the family dog or cat. In their ability to suffer, pigs are no different to the animals who have become our companions.

Advertisements highlighting the plight of factory farmed pigs appeared yesterday in Sunday papers in all states (SA will appear next week).  Full page advertisements will appear in women's magazines during the next two months, and, in major population centres, outdoor billboards, train station billboards and internal bus advertising will bring the plight of pigs to thousands of Australians. You can view the first series of these advertisements by visiting www.savebabe.com/advertisements.html

At the same time, Animals Australia has launched Make the Pro Pig Pledge!, a nation-wide initiative for caring consumers. We are asking all Australians who believe that these highly sensitive and intelligent animals deserve protection from acts of cruelty to make the Pro Pig Pledge (either via our website, or by returning a postcard which we will supply) and commit to not eating or purchasing factory farmed pork, bacon and ham. Our initial target is for 20,000 compassionate Australians to make the Pro Pig Pledge, sending a very strong message to the intensive pork industry - and to all other animal-abusing indusries - that Australians will not support animal cruelty. We'll update the tally of Pro Pig Pledges received on our savebabe website each week to show Pledgers - and the pork industry! - how many compassionate Australians are supporting our campaign.

Animals Australia has created a number of simple yet powerful campaign tools to help Australians raise awareness amongst their own community and encourage as many caring Australians as possible to make the Pro Pig Pledge! We are providing campaign tools to send to restaurants, cafes and supermarkets, encouraging them to use their own buying power to call for change. We have also produced funky new 'I've Made the Pro Pig Pledge!' T shirts (pink writing on black - please contact us if you would like to buy one) and stickers for supporters to purchase to further spread our message!

Whilst our national advertising campaign will help create greater awareness, throughout history it has always been people power within communities that has acted to end injustice. Since the launch of savebabe.com, all whom we have reached have been appalled to learn how pigs are treated, and even more appalled that they had unwittingly been supporting animal cruelty through their supermarket choices.

The formula for change to help millions of pigs who currently suffer in Australia is a simple one - community awareness! Members of Animals Australia will receive an action pack in the mail this week. If you are not currently a member of Animals Australia, please email us at enquiries@animalsaustralia.org or call us on 1800 888 584 - we will be delighted to send you a free action pack!

Please visit savebabe.com to make your Pro Pig Pledge, and encourage family members, friends and colleagues to do likewise!! By doing so you will be lodging your vote as a compassionate Australian who is against animal cruelty! You can also order your free action pack when making your pledge online.

Coming Events!

Charlotte's Web

The movie version of Charlotte's Web - the adventures of piglet Wilbur as he tries to avoid becoming a Christmas roast - will be released in early December. This beautiful movie was filmed in the style of Babe, but this time it is Wilbur who will win the hearts of all movie-goers. Have a look at the gorgeous movie trailer on www.charlotteswebmovie.com. The producers of the movie, Paramount Pictures, has even launched it's own Pro Pig website - savewilbur.com - what wonderful and unexpected assistance in promoting greater understanding of these unique and wonderful animals! The promotional by-line of Charlotte's Web reads, 'This Christmas, help is coming from above'; for millions of Wilbur's kind in Australia who are so desperately in need of help, we know that help will be coming from all directions!

Sydney Fundraiser

For supporters in Sydney, you are warmly invited to a fundraising lunch and auction for Animals Australia and the National Desexing Network (NDN) to be held on Sunday 12th November. Joan Pearson, a wonderful friend to animals both in Australia and internationally, is once again opening up her beautiful Mosman home to raise much-needed funds to help animals. Joan's functions are both memorable and tremendous fun! Fabulous food, wine and entertainment are provided for a donation of $75, with all proceeds going towards ending animal suffering. This event is also a fantastic opportunity for both Communications Director Lyn White and for me to meet our supporters. We would love to see you there! For bookings, please call Joan directly on 02 9960 2229.

As always, thankyou for your continued support of our campaigns!

It is because of your crucial support that hope is finally on the horizon for factory farmed pigs in Australia.

Glenys Oogjes
Executive Director
Animals Australia