Vegetarian Star

Brandy Kuentzel

It’s down to the final three on The Apprentice and vegetarian Brandy Kuentzel has survived Donald Trump‘s ax by winning challenges and demonstrating her business expertise. Vegetarian Star was fortunate to get an exclusive interview with Brandy to learn about her motivations behind going vegetarian, her work with animal welfare and her idea of the ultimate green job.

Did your vegetarian diet come up at any time during The Apprentice, either among the contestants or the show’s staff?
I think that any time you make an effort to ask where you food comes from (whether that’s refraining from eating factory-farmed meat, eating vegetarian or vegan fare, not buying products that are tested on animals, etc.), it sparks conversation. Simple everyday choices can make you an advocate for animals. This certainly was the case while filming The Apprentice. I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating The Apprentice film crew was of my dietary preferences. Since vegetarian food had to be brought in for me, others also ended up choosing the (often healthier) vegetarian option. Of course, some cast members did not consider it a “real” meal unless meat was involved. C’est la vie.

Describe some of your experiences working with animals or animal welfare issues.
I’ve personally volunteered at animal shelters for nearly a decade, and I currently volunteer each week at the SFSPCA. You can also find me at the SFSPCA/Macy’s holiday windows in San Francisco this December. For those individuals looking to get more involved, the HSUS offers amazing seminars on animal advocacy…and, of course, don’t forget to vote!

If you had the opportunity to be “hired” for the ultimate green job, what would it be?
If I could really shoot for the moon, my ultimate green job would be to host a television show with my best friend showcasing our common passion: ethical, conscientious eating prepared to perfection. By showcasing innovative restaurants, family farms, dairies, markets, orchards, vineyards, breweries and artisanal shops, the show would educate the consumer and provide realistic options for dining anywhere along the meat-eating spectrum. I think that consumers want to learn how to eat with the seasons, how to enjoy the perfect humane cheese and how to grow herb gardens in 600 square foot apartments. Urban homesteading and conscientious eating is not just a fad – it’s at our roots. If The Universe delivers on this wish, I guarantee that our lemon-carrot soup would bring all the boys to the yard.

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Lily Tomlin will be a guest speaker at the screening of the film, “Elephants and Man: A Litany of Tragedy” at the Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood on January 20, 2011, as part of the “Kat Kramer’s Films That Change the World” series.

The film, produced by Melya Kaplan and directed by Jacek Kropinski, chronicles the history of elephants in captivity for entertainment and film purposes and offers solutions to combating the problem today, when animal welfare activists are still fighting for causes such as “Billy The Elephant,” a large creature held at the Los Angeles Zoo that many want released to a sanctuary.

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“Visiting the Romanian bear sanctuary was truly an eye-opening experience. These bears have suffered horrible tragedies, but now have an amazing second chance at life in a safe and peaceful environment – all thanks to the WSPA and its supporters. I am honored to be a spokesperson for WSPA’s campaigns, and I encourage others to join in our fight to protect animals, worldwide.”

—Leona Lewis, on her trip to a Romanian bear sanctuary which houses bears rescued from neglectful and abusive situations like tourist attractions, roadside exhibits and zoos that fail to provide adequate care. Lewis visited a sanctuary owned and operated by World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), which says it has rescued and placed 34 bears in the sanctuary to date.

Photo: PR Photos

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From now until December 10th, 2010, Purina ONE beyOnd is donating $1 to help homeless pets when viewers watch a video on Youtube at this link. Donations will be made up to $300,000, with a limit of $1 per person.

The videos highlight Purina’s ONE beyOnd brand, which is touted to have more natural ingredients without adding corn or wheat and use environmentally friendly packing, which include the following manufacturing steps.

• Some of beyOnd is made at a plant in Denver, Colorado that uses solar energy.
• Packaging is made from at least 92% Renewable Materials.
• Paper in Packaging is SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) Certified.
• Packaging is Printed with Soy-Based Inks.

Stars like Shannon Elizabeth and Audrina Patridge have already Tweeted about the charity, encouraging their fans to RT and spread the good news.

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Leonardo DiCaprio has donated $1 million dollars to the World Wildlife Fund, a conservation organization that has been working to protect species and their habitats for almost five decades.

The money donated by DiCaprio is to help save tigers, a species the WWF estimates only 3,200 exist in the wild, compared to 100,000 a hundred years ago.

DiCaprio also attended the five day conference in St. Petersburg, Russia, the International Forum on Tiger Conservation, designed to create a plan to stop activities that are responsible for the animals’ decline, such as poaching and destruction of habitat.

“Illegal poaching of tigers for their parts and massive habitat loss due to palm oil, timber and paper production are driving this species to extinction,” said DiCaprio.

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Insert joke or snide remark here, but Michael Vick says he believes his activities with dog fighting now enables God to use him as an agent of change. Or something grandiose like that.

“I think I’m being used by God,” Vick said, according to the LA Times. “because all the laws have changed since my incident.”

In fairness to the truthfulness of Vick’s statement, laws have changed since he was charged, convicted and spent time behind bars for his involvement with Bad Newz Kennels.

The Humane Society of the United States writes on its website:

“In the last two years, we’ve upgraded 26 laws (state and federal) on animal fighting. The HSUS has trained more than 1,000 law enforcement officers on investigating animal fighting and paid out 50 rewards for tips leading to arrests in animal fighting cases. We have worked with law enforcement on more than 200 raids on animal fighting operations.”

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Rachael Ray is donating $775,000 to animal shelters, charities and other pet organizations by the end of 2010. This charitable gesture is in addition to the proceeds from her dog food and treats she had developed under her name a few years ago, Rachael Ray Nutrish and Just 6, 100% of which goes to animal charities.

In addition, Ray will help host “pop-up” adoption events during the tour to promote her new book, Look + Cook, in various cities.

“It truly brings a smile to my face to know that this money will help so many animals who just need someone to care for them,” said Ray. “This donation should be credited to our loyal consumers and retailers across the U.S. who purchase Nutrish and Just 6 because they to want to help provide for animals that were abandoned or mistreated. For this, I am truly grateful.”

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Sarah Palin has angered animal rights activists after clubbing a Halibut fish she caught during her Discovery television series, Sara Palin’s Alaska.

According to the Washington Post, In Defense of Animals called the clip a “snuff film” while Alaska fishermen said it was a “humane” way to kill the animal.

Regardless of what side you take, one thing’s for sure. If Palin’s show ratings continue to drop, her televised Alaska experience will surely be clubbed from the network. Viewership dropped 40% during last week’s show.

Joseph Garner, an assistant professor of animal sciences at Purdue University, demonstrated through an experiment that fish do feel pain and respond with different behavior when they do. Like humans, morphine also appears to make them happier when faced with painful stimuli. Surely, the halibut in the video was wondering where its IV pump was during the ordeal.

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