Dear ***,

The hunt has begun.

At daylight this morning, the first baby seal was killed for her fur on Canadian ice. It was heartbreaking to watch, but bearing witness to this cruelty -- and exposing it to the world -- is essential if we are finally to end this slaughter.

I am now in Canada, leading a skilled team of experts from The Humane Society of United States to the ice floes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We are here once again to document the horrifying abuses inflicted by sealers, abuses that violate Canada's own laws.

We are also here to bear witness to the brutality that is perfectly legal and acceptable in the eyes of the Canadian government: the bludgeoning, shooting, and skinning of hundreds of thousands of baby seals.  Just two weeks ago, I was on the ice with Heather and Paul McCartney, watching these same seals nursing and playing with their mothers. Heather and Paul were so moved by their beauty and innocence that they made a public plea to the Canadian government to ban the hunt forever.

We can make the Canadian government stop this hunt. But it will require unrelenting pressure from people like you and me, who constantly tell Canada that we will not stand idly by while hunters kill these baby seals.  On this tragic day, I urge you to join me in stopping the seal hunt forever. Take action now. 

Tell Prime Minister Harper to stop the seal hunt. Say that you will not buy Canadian seafood. Click here.
With the recent election of Prime Minister Harper we have a new chance to convince the Canadian government that the price of continuing the seal hunt is too high to pay. Your message to the Prime Minister, urging him to stop the hunt and letting him know that your dollars will not support the slaughter of baby seals, is critical to the success of our fight to protect seals. Even if you've previously written to him, I ask you to write him again today.

Donate to put an end to the hunt for good.
Your generous donation today will bring us closer to ending this hunt forever. It will exclusively support our ProtectSeals Campaign. With that support we can go head to head with the fishing industry and the Canadian government as we create a public outcry so loud -- and an international boycott so effective -- that Canada will no longer be able to ignore it. Simply click here to make a donation to our ProtectSeals campaign today.

I want to thank you so much for your commitment to saving the seals. Remember that you can stay in touch with the campaign with up-to-the-minute news, videos, and actions throughout the hunt at www.ProtectSeals.org.

Your action and donation today truly make a difference in our ongoing efforts to end the seal hunt.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Aldworth
Director of Canadian Wildlife Issues
The Humane Society of the United States

P.S. Please don't forget to tell all your friends and family about how they can help seals today. Simply click here to spread the word.