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Doll Stanley, Scotlund Haisley, Renee Lazzareschi and Hope Bohanec

In Defense of Animals was a co-sponsor of the 2010 Animal Rights Conference in Washington DC, July 16, 17 & 18. This year’s conference, presented by Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) was a grand affair at the Hilton Alexandria with dozens of animal organizations and product vendors in every corner of a huge hall in the hotel.  Scotlund Haisley, IDA’s new president, attended and spoke several times, as well as myself and a few IDA staff from all over the country. Our table was brimming with information and fun merchandise including a new, very popular t-shirt and new buttons.

The three day affair included panels of speakers on a wide variety of topics from developing leadership, enacting and enforcing protective animal laws, advertising and media, fundraising, to effective strategies and tactics and so much more. A video room offered PowerPoint presentations and compelling films throughout the conference.

Along with the three catered vegan meals available at the conference, the vegan sweet treats sent me over the edge on a sugar high! After the vegan twinkies, cupcakes, hazelnut chocolate cups, and ice cream sandwiches, you realize that we can now make anything vegan – and it’s all obtainable at this conference!

IDA’s new president, Scotlund Haisley, offered an evocative speech at the Sunday Evening Plenary Session delving into his past work with the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL). He single handedly transformed WARL from a scary place for animals behind bars into a homey sanctuary with no cages, running water features, and new age music piped in, creating a “home awaiting a home” for the luckiest animals in the DC area. We are very excited about the prospects Scotlund brings to IDA and look forward to his leadership and the potential he brings to make IDA even more effective in the future for animals.

I highly recommend the Animal Rights Conference as a great place to network, meet other animal loving people, learn about the movement and eat decedent vegan treats. It’s a really awesome feeling to have a thousand people gathered in one place who all feel the same compassion for animals that I do. I came home with vegan gifts for friends, lots of people to contact, and a renewed sense of hope, that we are out there, effecting change for animals in every corner of the globe. I can’t wait till next year’s conference in LA, and hope you will join us!

As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services continue to systematically round up and exterminate entire flocks of resident Canada geese all over the country, IDA is calling on every one of our supporters to get involved to stop this needless killing.  In 2010, thousands of innocent Canada geese across the country have been or will be gassed to death or sent to slaughterhouses if we do not take action to stop it. Since non-lethal population control programs for resident Canada geese have proven successful throughout the country, the USDA must change course and switch to non-lethal, humane, and progressive population control.

Every person I have spoken with, whether they be in New Jersey or New York, has been outraged, horrified or saddened by the eradication of geese in their communities.  Many are sickened that the slaughter occurred despite public protest or without considering the interests of the vast number of residents who enjoy the presence of the geese in the parks. Of course, the lack of consideration of the interests of the geese themselves is even more disturbing.

IDA has produced another video highlighting the negative impacts of the USDA’s lethal course of action against geese. Click here to watch the video.

IDA encourages you to act to protect Canada geese in your community by contacting your city manager’s office to request a copy of their goose management plan.  Also, please click here to send an e-mail to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, asking him to immediately end the slaughter of Canada geese.

With the help of each and every one of IDA’s supporters, we can make a positive difference for the Canada geese who call the United States home.

As you read these words, I am at a toxicology laboratory in New Jersey leading the In Defense of Animals Rescue Team in an operation that defines my vision of a world with no cages. Recently 55 macaque monkeys and 118 beagles became “seized assets” when the lab went out of business and their fates changed forever. These animals were facing a life in prison-like cells and days full of unspeakable cruelty and isolation. That was until the moment I heard of this dismal situation – I made a promise to each of these innocent animals that IDA would shepherd them out of confinement and misery and into a new world of comfort and love.

I am happy to report to you all that the 118 beagles have already been relocated and today the 55 monkeys will begin their journey to four safe havens in Oklahoma and Texas. The future for these monkeys will be filled with fresh air, friends, and freedom from harm.

You only need to watch this video to see how important this mission is. (no graphic content)

This is long journey. We will post more videos and photos in coming days. They will travel about 1,700 miles to reach the sanctuaries where they will begin their new lives. We hope you will join us as we take these monkeys to their new homes and forever out of the reach of those who would exploit and torture them. Through your generous donations we will not only meet our commitment to these monkeys, but I believe we can free an unprecedented number of animals awaiting rescue from labs and other abusive environments and the misery and exploitation inflicted upon them. It is my hope that this will be just one more step in making a world without cages and one more victory for compassion over cruelty.

There are big changes coming to Ohio farm animals. Ohioans for Humane Farms met with Ohio agriculture leaders and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland to broker a deal that will bring much needed reforms to Ohio animal agriculture. This comes on the heels of a successful signature gathering campaign that collected 500,000 signatures from Ohioans demanding change for farmed animals. Those signatures were collected for a ballot measure that will no longer be necessary as farming interests felt the ominous fight ahead and came to the negotiation table. Here’s what the animals won:

• A ban on veal crates, to be phased out within six years.
• A ban on new gestation crates in the state after December 31, 2010. Existing facilities are grandfathered, but must cease use of these crates within 15 years.
• A permanent moratorium on permits for new battery cage facilities in place immediately.
• A ban on the transport of downed cows and calves for slaughter.
• A ban on strangulation and other forms of on farm killing that are not included in euthanasia standards as outlined by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
• Enactment of legislation establishing felony-level penalties for cock fighters.

These are huge strides for farmed animals, but there is an underlying disappointment that existing battery cages for egg-laying hens will still be permitted. Battery cages confine a hen to a space the size of a sheet of paper where she can’t even extend her wings for her whole life. Imagine living your entire life in a crowded elevator and you will understand the life if a battery caged hen. These would have been banned by the ballot measure, but this deal does bring historic change to the heavily agricultural state of Ohio without the risk of losing everything at the ballot.

This victory is part of an amazing trend that is shining light on the darkest places in the abusive animal agricultural industry and showing its true colors to the world. Change is happening and the days of cruelty, violence and intensive confinement toward gentle farm animals are numbered.