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The Animal Rights 2011 National Conference, the world’s largest and oldest animal rights gathering, was held July 21 – 25 in Los Angeles, California at the Westin LAX Hotel. This annual conference sponsored by Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) and co-sponsored by In Defense of Animals (IDA) offered sessions on combating animal abuse, organizing, tactics, animal protection issues, and key campaigns. IDA enlightened newcomers and seasoned activists about our programs through extensive participation on panels. Our table in the main hall was brimming with information on IDA campaigns, plus fun t-shirts, buttons, travel mugs, and other animal-related merchandise.

Catherine Doyle, IDA’s Elephant Campaign Director, spoke on three panels, including Animals in Entertainment. She gave an overview of IDA’s work for elephants in zoos and circuses and described the welfare problems associations with each, and showed footage of abuse in circuses and a video about elephants in zoos. Catherine also spoke on the panel Animal Rescues about the unique nature of the elephant rescues IDA has facilitated.

At the Saturday night banquet, Catherine introduced the winner of the Young Animal Rights Activist Award, Juliette West, a “youth ambassador” for elephants in captivity and in the wild. She is featured in the documentary How I Became An Elephant, which tells the story of her efforts to rescue an elephant from the streets of Thailand. She uses the film to reach young audiences around the country and teach them about elephants in captivity.

Hope Animal Sanctuary's Doll Stanley

Our Hope Animal Sanctuary’s Director Doll Stanley introduced IDA at the opening plenary session. Doll also spoke on four panels: Vivisection, Companion Animal Campaigns, Running a Sanctuary, and Enforcing Protective Laws.

Hope Bohanec, IDA’s Grassroots Campaigns Director, offered her power point presentation Eco-Eating: A Cool Diet for a Hot Planet about environmental impacts of animal agriculture. She also spoke on the panel International Activism about IDA Africa, our chimpanzee sanctuary in Cameroon; IDA India, where we spay, neuter and offer emergency medical care for street animals in Mumbai; and our South Korean Dog and Cat campaign, exposing the horrors of dogs tortured and slaughtered for their meat and cats boiled for “medicinal elixirs” in South Korea. Hope also spoke on Language and Labels, introducing people to IDA’s unique Guardian Campaign, which encourages the use of non-objectifying and more accurate words when we discuss animals, such as “guardian” instead of “owner” and “he” or “she” instead of “it.”

We were even able to participate in the world’s biggest circus demo ever with 500 hundred protesters educating Ringling Bros. circus goers about the cruel and sad life of circus animals. We had a great time and I hope you can join us in Washington DC next July for the AR 2012 National Conference!

Due to the hard work and dedication of local animal advocate, Brandon Yanak, Ohio has its first Guardian Community. Not only did Brandon convince the Parma City Council to change their animal related ordinances, but he also convinced the Parma Animal Shelter, and the Middleburg Heights Animal Foundation to make the choice to use “guardian” instead of owner as well. See this great 30 second news clip from Tuesday’s victory here!

For more information on how you can make this happen in your city check out IDA’s Guardian Campaign.

Photo: via unforth (Flickr)

For months, the answer to the question of whether New York City will again kill Canada geese this spring has gone unanswered when IDA and other activists contacted the city offices. We were told to call another office, or to call back on another day, or to just wait for return calls. Those calls never came.

And while the city refused to divulge this information to animal advocates, claiming it just didn’t know, it turns out that it has been planning all along  (perhaps plotting is more like it) to justify the massacre of the geese by donating their bodies to a food bank in Pennsylvania.

Yes, you heard right.

Apparently, the big brains in City Hall think this will shield them from having to face the kind of mass outrage that resulted last July when Prospect Park woke up to the disappearance of its beloved geese—murdered before dawn by USDA agents commissioned by the city.

But they fail to understand a number of things.

The first is that the public is not that stupid. We see this immediately for what it is—a pathetic attempt to mask a despicable deed by parading it as a charitable and noble act.

The second is that they didn’t do their homework. Donating dead geese to a food bank for the poor is a commonly used justification for animal murder, but it is fraught with controversy.

Free-roaming geese in urban and suburban communities are exposed to a whole range of toxins. PCBs, pesticides, and heavy metals contaminate their flesh. You won’t find this meat on the table of any reputable (or for that matter) disreputable restaurant. But apparently these doltish city officials feel justified—unashamedly—in heaping it on impoverished citizens.

Every year there is some community that tries this little trick and most often the food bank ends up rejecting it. Often the dead flesh never even makes its way to the food bank, intercepted by any decent inspection process along the way. Last year in Bergen County, NJ, the food bank recipients themselves rejected the goose flesh, insulted and repulsed that this is what was offered them.

Can you blame these poor folks? Will they be able to afford the medical treatment they might need from eating tainted food, many already suffering from poor health and a compromised immune system?

What folly. To act as if donating the flesh of tortured birds could possibly cover up the crime of snuffing out the lives of these majestic geese. Carrying out the mass murder of wildlife while hiding behind a  false show of goodwill  is clearly and unambiguously the height of cynicism and cruelty.

Thanks to Mississippi State University’s (MSU) student surgery team, Hope Animal Sanctuary was able to spay/neuter 4 cats and 27 dogs this week.  Deedra and Bryce Booker brought the dogs they’re fostering for us , Cindy Shaw brought the dogs Debbie Young is caring for, Arlin Arco brought the Winona Animal Shelter dogs we could fit on the list and there were 6 others, besides a few at the sanctuary.  It’s fantastic when so many people pitch in on surgery day.  Mike Martin came up just to help.  It was a long drive for him.  He and Lisa are devoted and appreciated volunteers.

Phoenicia and her pups were spayed yesterday.  They were abandoned in Montgomery County, Mississippi.  Little Bit too was found abandoned on the road.  Ronnie and Raymond were discovered with their 4 sisters on HWY 82.  The wonderful thing is the people who found them were willing to bring them in to IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary. IDA has done what we came to Mississippi to do – set up an oasis of hope for animals in one of the poorest states in the country.

My friend Theresa alerted me to a Wyatte, Miss. case of a 86 year-old man who lives in a gutted school bus.  John is a squatter who’s really fortunate that the man who owns the property feels compassion for him.  Theresa helps him and has helped the hoard of dogs he kept.  You may remember we took 19 pups our first 2 visits.  Sadly many of the pups suffered from distemper and didn’t make it.

Monday evening Theresa brought John’s remaining 3 female adults to be spayed. I was absolutely heartsick to think they would go back. They were covered in ticks and their feces was disgusting and parasite ridden.  We made a deal Theresa could take Daisy back but she would see that she gets all the preventive medicines she needs. Daisy is fond of John and sleeps with him in the school bus.

I was relieved that we would keep Iris and Rosie and Theresa would insure that Daisy was cared for. That was a deal I could live with. Iris and Rosie loved sleeping in with the sanctuary’s other dogs last night. They think this new life is pretty cool.

A huge thanks to MSU’s Dr. Busby and his team.  Without their help we wouldn’t be able to help all the animals we rescue and care for.

Please click here to donate directly to Hope Animal Sanctuary. The “double your donation” offer is still good – a very generous IDA supporter will match any donation you make through this link.

Recently, Oprah challenged her staff to join her and voluntarily go vegan for one week. Close to 400 Harpo Production employees agreed to the challenge and Oprah dedicated her show  to the results, so we had an Oprah watching party! About 75 delighted IDA and PETA employees, supporters, and other vegans packed into Harvey’s Bar in San Francisco to watch Oprah on the big screen TVs. Harvey’s recently added a few vegan items to their menu including tofu scramble, vegan chili, and vegan quesadillas, so we were well fed. They are also using vegan mayo for their entire menu. Famous vegan cookbook author, Colleen Patrick Goudreau co-organized the event with IDA and was on hand after for a discussion and Q & A about the show and mainstreaming veganism.

The show focused on a few employees and their adventures and struggles being vegan for a week. One of her staff lost 11 pounds in a week and many others reported feeling better with increased energy. Some said that they would continue the new lifestyle for a month, some said they were hooked!

Oprah’s guests were Kathy Freston, author of the new bestselling book Veganist and Michael Pollen, author and local food activist. There was also never before seen video of a slaughterhouse. They wouldn’t allow the cameras to film the actual killing of the cows, but the gruesome processing and grizzly skinning and dismembering was extremely disturbing. Kathy Freston said that she is vegan because horrors such as this footage didn’t sit right with her soul and she could not be part of it.

There was a segment of the show where one Harpo employee took everything out of her fridge that had animal products and to her surprise, it cleared out her refrigerator completely. So Freston took her to Whole Foods and introduced her to a variety of new vegan products including Tofurky,  Earth Balance, and Daiya Cheese . She said that her family learned a great deal about healthy eating and would continue to lean in this new, compassionate direction.

As for Oprah, she said that she is now “veganish” and will also continue to lean in this direction. She is implementing Meat-Free Mondays in the cafeterias at Harpo Productions as well as having a vegan option always available. IDA would like to thank Oprah for bringing veganism to the mainstream, exposing the graphic cruelty of the slaughterhouse, and showing people that there is a new, healthy and compassionate way to live and eat. Go Oprah!

Photo Credit : Mia Kiander

Standing atop a promontory in Taiji, Japan, I’m enduring an agonizing wait to see if today will bring another merciless slaughter of dolphins. I’ve been in Taiji for four days now and have witnessed over 60 dolphins lose their lives at the hands of the Taiji fishermen. On November 29th, a large pod of more than 50 spotted dolphins were killed, while a pod of 10 risso’s dolphins were destroyed the following day. On both occasions, babies were among the victims. I am deeply troubled that almost a year after The Cove won the Academy Award for Best Documentary the fishermen have employed a new killing method that reduces the flow of blood into the cove’s waters. They have also perfected the transfer of dead and dying bodies under blue tarpaulins so that the bodies are rarely seen as they are moved to and from the grisly gutting barge and butcher house.

On previous days, I’ve watched as so-called “banger” boats round up the dolphins at sea by creating a wall of sound with incessant banging on metal pipes, which drives the dolphins into the cove. Once the net has been dropped, they are then driven farther into the cove and up onto the rocky beach beyond public sight for slaughter. In some instances, as with the pod of risso’s dolphins I observed, the pod gets separated in such a way that some dolphins are slaughtered well before others, and those awaiting their gruesome end must listen as their family members are murdered. The scene is a profound horror, and one can only imagine the terror, pain, and fear that these highly intelligent and sentient beings must be experiencing as they are hunted down and their lives extinguished.

Currently there are 50-60 captured dolphins being held in small pens to be trained for a life in captivity. They can spend months in these pens swimming in mindless circles, undergoing daily “training” sessions, in which they learn that food now comes from a human, and only after performing a meaningless trick like jumping in the air, touching a ball with their nose, or waving their fin. I cannot express how desperately sad and disturbing it is to see these incredible beings, who were living free and wild only days and weeks before, suffer such degradation and exploitation in this way. Their lives have been shattered, their freedom and families lost, and now their dignity taken too. It is heartbreaking and shameful.

As for the fate of the dolphins this day, I am happy to report that due to bad weather, they managed to get away and escape the hunters’ conniving trap. For all the dolphins who won’t be as lucky as these were, please take action to help them.

This is Nicholas - One of Eric's new friends!

I spent nearly the entire month of October in Mississippi filling in for Doll at Hope Animal Sanctuary (HAS). Doll was on much deserved and much needed vacation and they needed an extra pair of hands, so I offered to help. This was not my first time at the Sanctuary, I’ve been down several times and spent almost three months there at the end of 2007.

I was grateful on this trip to be joined by my nephew, Zach, who helped me immensely with the day-to-day operations and afforded me the ability to give the three employees, William, Lisa and Elizabeth, some much needed extra time off. I was impressed with the efforts of this team and I admire very much the work they do for animals, both in and out of the Sanctuary.

To me, there is no better way to remind yourself of what truly matters than working hands-on with animals. Animals who in most instances are coming from situations of abuse, neglect and violence that most of us cannot imagine. Had a rough day at the office? At least no one dumped you and your siblings along 70 mile per hour Interstate 55, like what happened to a group of weeks-old puppies who were recently through the Sanctuary – all had been hit by cars and despite receiving immediate medical care, none survived their injuries. Or Nicholas, a dog I took in while I was there. Nicholas had finally broken through the collar that chained him likely in someone’s backyard. More a lawn ornament than and living, breathing, feeling animal, Nicholas’ collar had become partially embedded in his neck, undoubtedly bringing him agony for only he knows how long.

These are just a couple of recent stories from Hope Animal Sanctuary. Sadly, not every story is a victory, but had HAS not been there to ease the suffering of animals who would ultimately succumbed to their injuries, they would have had to suffer for much longer. And had HAS not been there to rescue the ones who survived and thrived, they never would have gotten out of their hopeless situations.

Vegan Sloppy Joes - Always a big hit! Recipe : MeetTheShannons.net

Now is the best time of year to make sure your school cafeteria has vegan options. Here’s how:

Step 1: Become Friends with Your School & Cafeteria

It is always easier to change a system from the inside. Just by stopping by and politely asking your Cafeteria’s food service coordinator for vegan options, you can make a personal statement on why these dishes are necessary and offer suggestions how they can make the changes. By building a relationship with your school’s food service coordinator you can help them locate the best recipes and resources so that these vegan changes can be successfully incorporated into the menu. If you’re too shy, send a kind e-mail or note to the head of your school’s cafeteria or dining hall requesting daily vegetarian and vegan options.

Of course, sometimes that doesn’t work. You can then move on to speaking to your school’s administration. Request a meeting with your school’s principal or, if you’re in college, your school’s Operations Director. Come to your meeting prepared to talk about why your school needs vegan options, what the benefits of a vegan diet are, suggestions for how they can veganize the cafeteria. Of course it doesn’t hurt to do a little research into how many of your classmates would want these options and if your school has had any issues with recalled meat or dairy products in the past (link to recent egg recall story) You can even contact other schools, such as Baltimore’s Public School System and Indiana University that have added vegan options to their cafeterias and get some statistics and suggestions to support your cause.

If you have any meetings, arrive on time, dressed nicely, and be polite. Don’t give them an excuse to ignore or disregard your request. Remember, you are there to advocate for the animals, so making a good impression is very important and, perhaps, this will be the beginning of a relationship with your school administration that could later help you also get dissection or circus field trips also removed from your school!

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Every year around this time I receive calls and emails from individuals I worked alongside or families I reunited in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.  Although it has been five years, the bonds that were cemented during our rescue work in New Orleans will last a lifetime. We will never forget the horrors we witnessed there, and the thousands of animals we pulled from the wreckage of the submerged crescent city.  I can scarcely believe half a decade has passed since I stepped into the worst natural disaster our country has ever known.

At that time I was the Executive Director of the Washington Animal Rescue League. As soon as Katrina hit the Gulf Coast I assembled a rescue team, and was one of the first responders on the ground. I knew we were entering uncharted territory when we passed the first city checkpoint and a crowd of desperate-looking people charged our vehicle and threw their keys through our open windows. The keys were wrapped in paper with the people’s names, telephone numbers, addresses and the description of the animals who were trapped in their homes. When I saw the horde of individuals on their knees, tears streaming down their faces, begging us to rescue their animals, I knew this mission would change my life forever.

During our six weeks in New Orleans our team rescued nearly 1,000 animals who had lost all hope of surviving the grim disaster. We scaled dilapidated buildings to pluck emaciated animals from rooftops, pulled cats out of putrid, debris-laden waters and found dogs who had been left to die, stranded for weeks in flooded homes. Each rescue was unique, but every animal shared an initial look of wild desperation, which melted into trust and gratitude once we held them tightly in our arms of compassion.

Our team was the first inside these houses for days or weeks after the storm. We were the only lifeline for people clinging to the hope that their companions would be found alive. It was heartbreaking to tell someone who had lost everything that their cherished friend didn’t make it, but an honor to deliver the news to others that their animals had survived.

As soon as we plucked one animal from death’s door we were off to respond to another plea for help.  The calls never stopped, our rescue vehicles seemed constantly full, as we  perpetually raced the clock in a desperate fight against time. Inevitably, we were too late to save some – it is these lost souls who push me on a daily basis to continue my life’s work.

In the five years since, animal guardians have made huge strides in efforts to include pets in disaster preparedness. President Bush signed the PETS Act into law in 2006, allowing communities to receive funds for including companion animals in disaster preparedness plans. Communities and individuals are much better prepared to ensure their pets’ safety in the wake of nature’s unpredictable fury.

IDA played a crucial role in the post-Katrina response efforts. We delivered supplies to Gulf Coast emergency shelters and transported hundreds of displaced animals to shelters in the north. Today IDA’s rescue team is poised and ready to save animals from both man-made and natural catastrophes. Click here to support our life-saving efforts.

It never gets less painful to witness the horrific suffering that animal abuse inflicts on the helpless victims – this truth I know, having personally rescued thousands of miserable animals leading excruciating lives during the more than twenty years I have been in the field of animal protection.  I was reminded of this fact again days ago in the sweltering summer heat of Mississippi, where we rescued a number of dogs from very dire conditions in three separate seizures.

That feeling of being lucky enough to offer the first gentle touch, the first trustworthy embrace to an animal who has endured years of abuse and neglect is indescribable.  I can tell you that it never diminishes and that it’s this feeling which drives me and all of us in animal protection work to do what we do with our lives.  Again last week in Mississippi, I was filled with that feeling of gratitude and awe as we rescued severely starved and abused dogs, embracing them with kindness for perhaps the first time in their lives.  I would like to share with you my experience from just one of the recent rescues.

In Charleston, Mississippi, I went with the director of our Hope Animal Sanctuary, Doll Stanley, to help Animal Control Officer (ACO) Kevin Hodges respond to a report of a suspected dogfighter.  I had no idea what we were going to find when we walked up on this sad, neglected property in search of dogs bred to fight.  What we encountered was a sight of such profound misery it is difficult to describe – dogs that may have originally been intended to fight were clinging to life.  Chained to tiny six-foot enclosures in collars so tight they had to be cut off, they were emaciated and dehydrated to the point that they could barely stand, their skeletons entirely visible.  Some had fresh wounds, all had visible scars, and their hair was partially worn off, either from being chained or caged in despicable conditions or eroded away by mange.

Approaching these dogs, who had clearly never been shown kindness nor mercy was a testament to the inherent innocence and beauty of animals. While chained, they were terrified, barking and lunging. Aware perhaps that they could not escape whatever inhumane treatment they had endured, they desperately tried to protect their six-foot-in-diameter world. Once the chains were cut, these dogs relaxed, curled up, and accepted help – immediately forgiving the abuse they had suffered.

One unchained dog, a little white-haired sweetheart we later named Esmeralda, regarded me with extreme trepidation.   As I gently called to her, she came towards me shyly, stopping to lie meekly ten feet away. She looked at me with both apprehension and hope. I slipped a collar around her neck, but when I encouraged her to walk with me, she simple could not.  Instead, I scooped her up in my arms and she rested against me as I carried her to safety and a new life.

All the dogs were confiscated and taken for immediate vet care – tragically, even with the very best care, two of the most severely neglected dogs died that night, and a third, the sweet Mona Lisa, is clinging to life as I write this.  All of the surviving dogs are being held at a confidential location, away from the vet clinic and sanctuary, for their security.

That was only one of the rescues on July 28^th. After these dogs, and the others rescued that day receive veterinary care, my promise to them is a better life.  We will seek assistance from partner shelters in order to place them in loving, forever homes, and we will make sure their lives are never again so tortured and hopeless. Please take a minute to watch this rescue for yourself in this video.

My promise to you, as president of In Defense of Animals, is that we will continue to build the most effective and comprehensive Companion Animal Campaign possible.  Together, with your help, we will be there to open the cage doors and stop cruel puppy mills from profiting on misery.  We will continue to seize and rehabilitate dogs from dog-fighting rings and cases of abuse and neglect.  We will continue to work to clear animals from hoarders and over-burdened shelters and we will expand our work to address the underlying problems leading to pet overpopulation.  Together, I know we can accomplish a great deal and save many lives.

That feeling of giving the first touch of compassion to an abused and neglected animal, the first embrace of kindness, is euphoric and profound. I know that everyone of you can feel it too.  By acting on your own innate compassion and through your continuing support, I know you’ll feel the thrill I do on each and every rescue of which I am blessed to be a part.