animals my animal history


	Home Videos Photos Press Articles Animals Writing Classes Bellydance Pilates Yoga Contact	My Animal History The Recipients Some recipients of my ventures to help animals have been: Animal Welfare League WSPA Jack Russell Rescue Sydney Dogs & Cats Home Paws 'n' Hooves Greyhound Adoption Program NSW NSW Animal Rescue PETA Edgar's Mission Animals Australia 1998-2005: Dancing For Animals Between 1998 and 2005, when I had my own Bellydance school, Dreaming Of Jeannie Bellydance Academy, all the proceeds from our school performances would go to animal charities. I would pay the expenses out of my own pocket and give away every cent made. To see the article that appeared in the Southern Courier in 2004 about one of the performances click on: Good Vibrations. 2006: The Bandana Phase In 2006 I no longer had my own Bellydance school. My classes were scattered all over Sydney, and therefore raising money through a performance evening was no longer an option. My friend Anneliese Helmy and I joined forces and made hundreds of bandana collars (see Jake modelling one in the photo on the right) to give to shelters. The shelters could either give the collars away with each adopted dog as a house-warming gift, or sell them to make some extra (and much-needed) money - whichever they thought would serve their work better. To see the article that appeared in the Southern Courier in 2006 about the bandana collars Anneliese and I made, click on: Dandy Diamond Dogs. 2007: Balls And Bedding In mid-2007 Anneliese went to live overseas, so the bandana days were over. I figured that homeless doggies could do with a hobby, so I bought hundreds of tennis balls that I distributed to various shelters. And then a very special family offered to whip out their sewing machines and help me in my charity ventures. Using pillow cases stuffed with wadding, Kiem and Regent and their extended family made piles and piles of lovely bedding for the shelters to use or sell. 2008: The Diamante Phase At this stage I decided to go bling and started decorating collars with diamantes for the shelters to sell. Jasmin is modelling one such collar in the photo just to the right. 2006 & 2007: Going Vegan Late 2006 I went vegetarian. By the end of 2007 I was vegan (ie. not eating meat, dairy, eggs, honey) and I also stopped wearing animals (eg. leather, suede, etc) and using cleaning products, bodycare products, and makeup tested on animals. Living a vegan lifestyle is the BEST thing I've ever done in my life! Check out the full scoop here on Robert Cheeke's Vegan Bodybuilding And Fitness site: Despina's 'Go Vegan' Bio. 2009 And Beyond: My Current Focus I'm now concentrating on using my writing skills to inform people how they can help animals. Here are my articles: Animal Thoughts.	Action shot of me dancing for animals. Jake sporting a bandana collar. Jasmin blinging it up with her diamantes.

My Animal History

The Recipients

Some recipients of my ventures to help animals have been:

1998-2005: Dancing For Animals

Between 1998 and 2005, when I had my own Bellydance school, Dreaming Of Jeannie Bellydance Academy, all the proceeds from our school performances would go to animal charities.

I would pay the expenses out of my own pocket and give away every cent made. To see the article that appeared in the Southern Courier in 2004 about one of the performances click on: Good Vibrations.

2006: The Bandana Phase

In 2006 I no longer had my own Bellydance school. My classes were scattered all over Sydney, and therefore raising money through a performance evening was no longer an option.

My friend Anneliese Helmy and I joined forces and made hundreds of bandana collars (see Jake modelling one in the photo on the right) to give to shelters. The shelters could either give the collars away with each adopted dog as a house-warming gift, or sell them to make some extra (and much-needed) money - whichever they thought would serve their work better.

To see the article that appeared in the Southern Courier in 2006 about the bandana collars Anneliese and I made, click on: Dandy Diamond Dogs.

2007: Balls And Bedding

In mid-2007 Anneliese went to live overseas, so the bandana days were over.

I figured that homeless doggies could do with a hobby, so I bought hundreds of tennis balls that I distributed to various shelters.

And then a very special family offered to whip out their sewing machines and help me in my charity ventures. Using pillow cases stuffed with wadding, Kiem and Regent and their extended family made piles and piles of lovely bedding for the shelters to use or sell.

2008: The Diamante Phase

At this stage I decided to go bling and started decorating collars with diamantes for the shelters to sell. Jasmin is modelling one such collar in the photo just to the right.

2006 & 2007: Going Vegan

Late 2006 I went vegetarian. By the end of 2007 I was vegan (ie. not eating meat, dairy, eggs, honey) and I also stopped wearing animals (eg. leather, suede, etc) and using cleaning products, bodycare products, and makeup tested on animals.

Living a vegan lifestyle is the BEST thing I've ever done in my life! Check out the full scoop here on Robert Cheeke's Vegan Bodybuilding And Fitness site: Despina's 'Go Vegan' Bio.

2009 And Beyond: My Current Focus

I'm now concentrating on using my writing skills to inform people how they can help animals. Here are my articles: Animal Thoughts.

Action shot of me dancing for animals.

dog bandana collar
Jake sporting a bandana collar.

diamante collar for dogs
Jasmin blinging it up with her diamantes.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi:
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

SAY NO TO PUPPY MILLS! SAY NO TO ANIMALS IN PETSHOPS! SAY NO TO BREEDERS!

At Say No it's estimated that 130,000 dogs and 60,000 cats are killed every year in Australia because there are not enough homes for them all. And the global numbers amount to millions upon millions every single year.

Puppy mills are a major contributor to the terrible problem of overpopulation. Puppy mills are essentially 'dog factories' where dogs are forced to churn out litter after litter, with no thought for the welfare of the dogs and all thought for profit. The dogs live in appallingly dirty, cramped conditions all their lives, and when they no longer serve their purpose they're killed, dumped or sold for cruel and painful medical testing.

Petshops fit into the picture because puppy mills are generally where petshops get their animals from. Furthermore, having animals in shop windows encourages impulse purchases, and adding an animal to your family should be a conscious, careful decision - NOT one to be made while shoe shopping.

Breeders contribute enormously to the tragic statistics above too. And it doesn't matter whether they're professional breeders or backyard breeders, and whether they breed for profit or not, because while there are homeless animals sitting on death row in shelters, any and all animal breeding is utterly irresponsible.

For all these reasons, adopting from a rescue organisation is a far better (and more compassionate) choice than getting an animal from a puppy mill, petshop or breeder. (And remember that desexing is an integral part of being a responsible animal guardian so, if you haven't already, be part of the solution and desex your dog, cat or any other animal in your family.)

If I haven't convinced you, visit your local shelter or go to Death Row Pets to see the homeless animals and let their innocent faces convince you that adopting is the way to go!

"To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being."
- Mahatma Gandhi

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