Please help!

It is through eyes full of tears that I am writing this right now.

I have just watched as much as I can stand of one the most horrible things I have ever seen.

a secret hidden video of pure concentrated evil and abuse happening at a dairy farm in Ohio.

The things that were being done to these animals is beyond heart breaking and upsetting.

Please read this open letter written by Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest to the owner of the CONKLIN DAIRY FARM in Ohio.

Mr. Conklin,

Our daughter came to us last night urging us to watch the video of the abuse at your plant. She was overcome with grief that human beings could inflict such cruelty and unconscious hatred at the most benign of creatures and their infants. The shocking images were too much for her father and me but we watched enough to know where it led.

There are moments in all our lives where we face our deepest, darkest truths.

This is your moment.

What will you do?

Can you look in the mirror and see what you have done? Have you shown this to your children and family? You are a third generation farmer. Did you learn this from your ancestors?

Can you face and take the anger and sadness and grief and rage that so many will be feeling for you and your staff and accept and understand the outrage?

We know this media attention is difficult to navigate, there are many people in communications to help you but handle it you will.

Can you hold an open news conference and truly accept the responsibility, really accept it and be willing to implement change?

Can you attend education classes where you are taught kindness and compassion for all beings?

Can you then spend your lives teaching that same compassion to children throughout Ohio about the possibility to change the very nature of your beings through this exposure in the media?

We challenge you to have the courage, as the brave person who filmed this did, to open your doors and your hearts. Become the standard for safety and kindness and actually change -- change your mental state and spend the rest of your lives, and the lives of your descendants, trying to make your farm the leader in humane, clean, loving treatment of the very animals you profit from. You have the opportunity. Certainly one more than those helpless victims of your sick, tortured abuse.

This is your moment. From the ashes of your lives can you re-build yourselves?

We know it is possible, if you have the willingness. But do you?

We are all waiting for your outrage and the outrage of your children and families and friends.

We are all waiting for your next move because we certainly know what ours is....

It's all here in this petition, which we encourage everyone to sign.

~ Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest

Please, if you are as outraged and shocked as we are, add your name to this petition.

This video is very, very disturbing. If you choose to watch it, it may forever change the way you think about animals, human nature and your own decisions about what you put in your body.

We have to stop this from happening... The sad truth is, it is happening more then we know. Factory farming is a careless and heartless industry. Our nation is subsidizing

this farm!! We have to let our representatives know that we will not stand this treatment to continue.

More humans then you know will take any chance to lash out at something weaker then themselves, something helpless. These people have to know that other human beings will not stand for it. Pass this on to everyone you know who has a heart-beat.

Be good to all living things.

XOXO- Things-We-Heart

Random hearts: what gift do you get the person who has everything? How about something that's not for them. We heart Animal Charities!!!

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.

I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.

Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

They are our most loyal friends, fans and family members.

They give us unconditional love, snuggles, and warm bodies. We laugh at them and with them. We talk to them like they are our babies (well, they are aren't they?... Maybe a wee bit furrier than babies but they are still our babies)

They help us feel better when we are down, less lonely when no one is around...and most of the time it is waaaay more fun to hang with them then it is any of our human friends....right JN?

They give us all that but what do we do? Yes, some get fed, some are loved (smooshed, cuddled and rubbed to an extreme...at least in this house) and others are given homes...but there are the millions that are abandoned like they are used socks.

Ignored, tossed to the side and many beaten as if they are not even living, loving and thoughtful creatures.

Then there are the ones that humans take for granted...

the ones that keep our Earth beautiful, safe and healthy and eco-systems growing...the wild ones that we depend on for food (that we don't need) or just to keep our feet warm...or for a fin or 2 to make a buck...and even a pelt to make a nice shade of lipstick.

You have to watch how rad this video is! It is not sad...it's amazing! You may cry because your heart will grow and it could hurt ;)

So while they give us all of this...while they keep us safe and protected...happy and harmonious...what do we do? Wait?!?! Don't answer that...you know the answer.

We suuuper crazy-style heart Animal Charities...

They give voices to those that don't have one.

Here are 8 charities that are among the highest rated in the US and some in the world. (That means most of the $$$ raised is used for helping the cause...not on salaries and bloated running costs)

Donations to these will make the most amazing gifts for the holiday season!!!!

Shambala- They protect and provide sanctuary to exotic animals who suffer from mistreatment and neglect.

Jane Goodall- She is a Godsend...her institute works on the preservation of apes and their habitats and create a network for youths to care for and have compassion for their environments and animals

Noah's Wish- It is one of the organizations that saves and rescues animals after disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes

Ocean Conservancy- Protects the ocean and all creatures in it and know that all living things are connected to the ocean.

Marine Mammal Center- They foster marine mammal survival and protect their habitats. They have rescued over 12,000 mammals and educated over 100,000 children on protecting our environment and these gorgeous creatures.

American Humane- Not HSUS or Humane Society...AH deals with Child and Animal welfare. They are a fantastic organization!

Delta Rescue- Stands for Dedication & Everlasting Love to Animals and is one of the largest No Kill, Care for life sanctuary in the world! They are a home to over 1500 creatures!

Farm Sanctuary- Works to end cruelty to farm animals and promotes compassionate living through rescue and education

Charity Navigator is an amazing site to help you "navigate" what the best and most efficient charity is for your needs.

P.S. Give what you are comfortable with...even $5 can make a difference in the life of a beautiful bunnycat

P.P.S. Snuggle your snugglers even harder tonight...they love you even when you don't have makeup on

P.P.P.S. There may be a few missing that you see the ads for on TV...that doesn't mean they are not great because any amount of help for animals is great...it simply means they are not as efficient as some others.

P.S- Do you heart Oprah? We do! And guess what? She hearts us too!

Check out our blog on The big "O's" Holiday gift guide extravaganza!

Oprah.com

XOXO- Things-We-Heart