Tortoise Sweaters Really Exist, and They’re Suprisingly Speciesist
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Some animals are born as ones we advocate on behalf of: dogs and cats for example. Others are born as ones we view as mere objects, as food- like cows.
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Huffington recently published an article titled, Snail and Tortoise Sweaters Really Exist, and They’re Surprisingly Adorable.
(Which immediately made me think of knitted sweaters for rescue chickens, which is like one of the most awesome things ever. But this is a different thing altogether.)
According to the article, Katie Bradley is an avid tortoise rescuer who has been hand-crocheting “cozies” for pet tortoises (and snails). She then donates 10 percent of the proceeds to the International Reptile Rescue. She makes all different types and the article is about how cute they are.
I looked through the photos and saw this one:
It’s labeled the, “Roasted Turkey Tortoise Cozy.”
Bradley knits sweaters for pet tortoises in the image of a different animal(‘s dead roasted body) to raise money to help rescued tortoises. One animal, the tortoise, is seen worthy of rescue- the other, the turkey, is merely a food (a thing, displayed only as a roasted carcass).
For the animals, it’s the luck of the draw- a birth lottery. Some animals are born as ones we advocate on behalf of: dogs and cats, for example. Others are born as ones we view as mere objects, as food- like cows, pigs, and chickens. Neither group chooses their destiny, they are completely dependent upon which species they are born into.
My intention is not to criticize Bradley or her work, but rather to point out the cognitive dissonance that is so clearly displayed in the photo above. It really illustrates the disconnect that happens as a result of institutionalized animal use.
It makes my heart hurt.
Photo credit: Mossy Tortoise via Etsy
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HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.
Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…
That to me is disturbing on so many different levels… :/ Although the idea behind this project is noble, this picture shows exactly what is wrong with our society.
Thanks for sharing, great post!
Interesting take on this. My first instinct was to laugh at the tortoise in the turkey suit…it’s all in good fun, but I understand your point. I checked out the original article, and the other sweaters are quite cute. My tortoise might need one! Thanks for a fun and thought-provoking post.
Hi Kristen! Truth be told, before I saw the turkey cozy I thought the pictures were cute too. I think there is a cheeseburger one as well, but that didn’t strike me the same way that the turkey one did- perhaps because I could just as easily see it as a bean burger rather than one made from meat. I feel bad for turkeys- they’re usually depicted as no more than a body, much like how lobsters are usually depicted (as the color red, when the only time that they are red is when they are (cooked) dead). I’m looking forward to a day when that changes :) Thank you for the comment!