The Nandi & Friends Project...

Hello... As a compassionate vegan artist, it was beginning to get more and more difficult to remain silent on all of the inhumane ways animals in this country are treated and used, especially for food production. Each week, I teach a Boogie Box Fitness class in Ontario, CA and it would pain me to go, because I had to drive by the dairy farms and see a repeat of what looked like the Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen concentration camps of WWII, in the modern form of dairy/cattle concentration camps. There are hundreds of thousands upon thousands of cows or "cattle" as they say used for milk production and beef. Such horrible ways to describe animals... These animals are born into death, and the only life they see is what is in front of them.

After teaching my Boogie Box Fitness class last week, I had to pull over one of dairy farms and see for myself how these animals were treated. As a vegan of two years, I had seen videos, but never first hand. So I did. And it really affected me. As a result, I drove to the nearest Auction and asked how much it would be for a cow. A man took me back to show me two smaller cows, a heifer and a young steer. A steer by the way is a castrated male. They use rubber bands on his testicles... A way to ease the pain. Not in my book is that a way to ease the pain of anyone or anything.

So I told him that I would like to purchase these cows and have them live their life out in a sanctuary, a place where they could roam free, not be used for milk, or beef, rather to live their life in happiness, peace and freedom.

So this begins the Nandi Project. Nandi, for those who are unfamiliar, is the sacred ride of Shivah. Because we consider ourselves on a spiritual path, and respect the deities, we decided to name this the Nandi Project. We will begin by rescuing one cow at a time, and will add on to rescuing horses, pigs, sheep and chickens, as soon as we raise enough funds to buy a pasture and acres to build an animal sanctuary.

Our first fundraiser is this Wednesday June 24, 2009 at the Green Market in the Claremont Village. Off the I-10 freeway, exit Indian Hill Blvd. head north. We will be selling hand painted "Nandi" rocks, some painted by children volunteers who are passionate about animals as well. The money raised will go towards rescuing these animals....

Thank you for reading!!! We'll keep you informed!!

love,

Vanessa Hidalgo