Stop Animal-people Testing: “Save Ralph” & “The Plague Dogs”

As part of the Humane Society International’s SaveRalph campaign to ban cosmetic testing on animal-people around the world, vegan filmmaker Spencer Susser wrote, directed, and co-produced a 4-minute short film entitled “Save Ralph,” with Jeff Vespa and Lisa Arianna. “Save Ralph” was released online on the Humane Society International website and on YouTube in April 2021 and has garnered more than 13 million views. Jeffrey Flocken, President of the Humane Society International stated: “‘Save Ralph’ is a warning signal to us to be aware of the suffering of laboratory animals. Now is the time for all of us to work together to end this abuse all over the world.”

“The Plague Dogs” is a 1982 animation drama about the adventure of two dog-people: Rowf, a Labrador-gentleman, and Snitter, a fox terrier-gentleman. Directed and produced by Martin Rosen and based on the novel by Richard Adams of the same name, this heart-wrenching film illuminates the ultimate cruelty of animal-people testing which has caused them so much fear, pain, and damage, both mentally and physically. These innocent, forgiving, loyal, and caring beings have every right to live in peace and harmony on this planet.

Recently, our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai mentioned animal-people testing. “You know how people test in the laboratory. (Yes.) They make the animal-people suffer so much, that they could not even cry. And even if they cry, nobody cares, they treat them just like stones or something. (Yes.) Oh my God, my heart pains so much whenever I happen to see these things. And recently, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) advertised it on the news as well, about the suffering of these laboratory animal-people. My God, we are like devils. (Yes.) We are worse than devils in hell. Because the devils, they’re allowed to only punish the bad ones, the sinful ones. (Yes.) We punish everybody. Even innocent animal-people. They were in the jungle, they’re roaming freely, they eat only leaves, and we catch them, we trap them. Bring them to our house and then torture them, day in, day out. Just for some experimentation, and most of it, it’s no use.”

“Save Ralph” and “The Plague Dogs” are two powerful films which are a wake-up call for everyone: it is time to stop all heinous crimes against animal-people.