Update, 5/14/09:

Yay! We’re winners! Thanks for the copy of Veganomicon, Vegan Soapbox!

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On March 1st, Convenient Vegan @ Vegan Soapbox issued the following challenge:

The rules:

1. Go into any convenience store with ten bucks.
2. Choose vegan food.
3. Take it back to your house or motel room, add water, spices, herbs, or nutritional yeast if you like, to make a meal that serves one or more.
4. Add nothing else.

That’s it. The meal does not have to be super-healthy, low-fat, low-sugar or anything like that. It does need to be something that most of us would recognize as a meal, not a snack.

Post your pictures or at least your description of what you got and what you made here and tell us what convenience store you bought from. OR post your meal on your blog and give us the link here. [edited Mar 2, 2009: can post your meal on your blog and put the link here]

Deadline: March 31, 2009

Shane and I were out and about on Thursday, so we decided to give it a try. We stopped for gas at a Shell station along our route, then popped into the store – without any luck. There were precious few non-snack grocery goods to be found, and most of the canned stuff contained meat. So we went across the street to a Pour Boys store, and…same story. On our way home, we decided to give it one last try, this time at a Quik Trip. Success!

We actually came up with a few different meal plans*, but ultimately decided to go with Shane’s idea: spaghetti, topped with salsa, corn and Spanish olives, with a small bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos (yes, they’re vegan!) for dessert.

(more…)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: United Poultry Concerns – news [at] upc-online.org
Date: Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Subject: [UPC] Call for Entries: CHICKEN RUN RESCUE PHOTO CONTEST!

United Poultry Concerns
17 March 2009

Call for Entries: CHICKEN RUN RESCUE PHOTO CONTEST!

Submissions are being accepted for this year’s Chicken Run Rescue Photo Contest.

To view entries so far and vote for your favorite – visit and vote often:

www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/photos09/index.php?x=browse

You will join Chicken Run Rescue and United Poultry Concerns in recognizing May as International Respect for Chickens Month by capturing the beauty, joy, intelligence, dignity, agility and zany exuberance of your birds in a photograph. Each year, twelve winning photos will be published in a calendar and winners will receive a free calendar. An exhibit of the winning photos will also be shown at the Justice for Animals Exhibition Space in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All calendar sales proceeds will enable Chicken Run Rescue to continue helping chickens for another year.

TO ENTER:

CONTEST RULES

Photograph everyday activities that are natural for your birds – no costumes, staged stunts or props. Chicken Run Rescue reserves the right to decline any images that conflict with our mission to promote the adoption of homeless chickens as companion animals and discourage breeding or buying. There are never enough homes for displaced animals.

Submission Deadline: May 15
Voting: Ongoing thru May 15
Winners Announced: June 4

Send HIGH RESOLUTION DIGITAL PHOTOS to chickenrunrescue [at] comcast.net. Include your name, title or bird’s name, address, phone number and email address.

(more…)

Update, 2/18/09: Want further convincing that the HSUS is undeserving of your financial assistance? Done and done.

For those too lazy to click through, the HSUS led a raid on a dogfighting outfit in North Carolina, “rescuing” 127 pit bulls, including 60 puppies. With the HSUS’s blessing, the Wilkes County court ordered all 127 “rescued” dogs destroyed – murdered. By the time the court order was obtained and carried out – several months after the initial raid and “rescue” – some of the dogs had given birth to more pup. These pups had never even been exposed to the fighting ring, and yet they, too, were deemed “dangerous” and slaughtered. As of this writing, 146 innocent lives have been taken.

With the HSUS’s blessing.

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The deadline to enter the HSUS’s Spay Day 2009 contest is fast approaching – February 27th, to be exact. I finally got around to submitting photos of my furkids. Aside from my slow internet connection, it was fairly easy – you just have to create a profile, then you can submit a photo for each of your companions. There are a few cutesy questions for you to answer, but nothing lengthy. I was under the impression that they wanted a mini-essay, which is why I kept putting this off, but the longest field is a brief 200 characters long. True to form, I had trouble staying within the maximum.

As for prizes, a panel of celebrity judges will choose a Grand Prize Winner, 10 Finalists, and 25 Honorable Mentions; the Grand Prize winner gets a $1000 shopping spree to HUMANE Domain.

The HSUS also uses this contest as a fundraiser. In addition to the celebrity judging category, members can “vote” for one another’s photos by making a cash donation. The prizes in this “fundraiser” contest are way cooler (including a session with a professional “pet” photographer and a custom painting of your animal), BUT – if you’ve got money to spare, I highly encourage you to make a donation to a local or grassroots animal rescue/rights group instead. Trust me…most likely, they’ll make much more efficient use of the funds than the HSUS, which in the past has hoarded Katrina relief funds and offered a reward to help the FBI catch so-called eco-terrorists – among other offenses. Ahem.

Naturally, I’m totally using this as an excuse to whip out the furkid photos. Here are my entries – all six of ‘em!

Ralphie – dog

My person: Kelly, Plattsburg, MO, United States

Nickname: Ralphie Bear

Favorite thing to do: walking, hiking, digging, eating, sunning

Most endearing bad habit: bossily barking at me while I prepare his meal.

Ralphie loves to dig, so we’ll go out to a pasture behind our house, and I’ll let him dig for a few hours while I read, nap or just enjoy his company. He’s my silly little cuddle bear!

My Charity: Kansas Humane Society (Wichita, Kansas, United States)

(more…)

Okay, okay, last contest for today – promise!

I’ve blogged about the CNN Heroes project in years past. Whereas I was under the impression that it was a one-time contest (with a one-time sequel in ’08), it appears that CNN plans on holding the Heroes contest annually. You can nominate a Hero any time throughout the year; at least, until CNN selects the year’s finalists and opens up viewer voting. I was unable to find a definitive timeline on the Heroes website, but nominations for 2009 are now open.

The process is rather straightforward: simply fill out this form and submit it online. You’ll need to know your Hero personally, at least well enough to provide full contact info. There are a few essay-type questions as well, with a cumulative 500 word maximum.

Your Hero must belong to one of seven categories:

1. Championing Children — Commitment to the welfare of young people.
2. Community Crusader — Creating solutions to a local program or social issue.
3. Defending the Planet — Innovative efforts to preserve and protect the environment.
4. Everyday Superhero — Spontaneous acts of courage in the face of danger by members of the public.
5. Medical Marvel — Dedication to the enhancement of human health.
6. Protecting the Powerless — Advancing the cause of human or equal rights.
7. Young Wonder — Outstanding achievement by a person 25 and under.

An animal advocate might “fit” in several of these groups. For example, someone working to trap, neuter and release feral cats may be a “community crusader,” inasmuch as she is finding non-traditional solutions to a community problem (e.g., companion animal overpopulation and feral cats). Activists who focus on whale protection are “defending the planet.” “Medical Marvels” could include scientists or activists who use (or encourage the use of) humane research methods. And so on.

If you know someone who is working to better the world for non-human (and human) animals in 2009, share their story with CNN today. It’d be great to see one or more animal advocates make the cut in 2009! And keep checking back for updates – I’ll let y’all know when voting’s open for the 2009 finalists.

If you do nominate a Hero, drop us a line in the comments – I’d love to hear about him or her!

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts animal advocacy contest activism volunteerism cnn heroes cnn heroes

Nominations are open through March 5, 2009 for the Purpose Prize:

Launched in 2006 as the first Baby Boomers turned 60, The Purpose Prize is a major initiative investing in a new generation of social innovators – individuals in the second half of life who are marshaling their accumulated experience to tackle some of America’s most pressing problems.

Unlike any other major national award or fellowship, The Purpose Prize challenges prevailing perceptions by investing significantly in accomplished social innovators over the age of 60. Each year, up to six people who have demonstrated uncommon vision, determination and entrepreneurialism in addressing community, national and international problems win $100,000 each. A second group of innovators wins $10,000 each, and dozens more are named Purpose Prize Fellows.

All are making extraordinary contributions to society in their encore careers. Nominations for the 2009 Purpose Prize are open through March 5, 2009. For more information or to nominate someone (including yourself), go to purposeprize.org.

The Purpose Prize is sponsored by Encore Careers. To nominate yourself or a friend, acquaintance or loved one, go to www.encore.org/prize

As with the Public Citizen contest I blogged about, this is a great opportunity to put animal advocacy issues front and center. If you know someone over the age of 60 who includes animals in his or her circle of compassion and activism, nominate them for the Purpose Prize today!

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts animal advocacy contest encore careers Purpose Prize activism cash prize volunteerism

Public Citizen wants your photos! The group is running a photo contest through the month of February – show President Obama what issues matter to you, and you might make it onto the front page of Public Citizen’s newsletter or inspire a new action campaign.

Here’s the announcement, from their January 31st enewsletter:

Photo Contest: Get Out Those Cameras!

If you could tell the Obama administration what issues matter to you, what would you say? Would you call for greater government accountability? Would you ask the administration to ensure every American has health insurance? Or maybe you’d ask for safer prescription drugs. Whatever the message, Public Citizen wants to know!

Over the next month, we’ll be collecting YOUR photo submissions to feature on our Flickr page, in this newsletter and possibly in future online campaigns. So take a photo of yourself holding up a message of what you’d like to tell the new administration. It can be a word, a policy goal or an issue you think is crucial in America. Submit your photos to feedback [at] citizen.org. We’ll spotlight our favorites next month.

So what are you waiting for? Get out your camera today!

This is a great opportunity for animal advocates to have their voices heard. Veg lunch options? Repeal the AETA? Public assistance for companion animal guardians in need? Stricter (pet) food safety laws? Share your veg*n wish list with Public Citizen today!

My photo(s) forthcoming…

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts public citizen photo contest flickr barack obama animal advocacy

Holy Rover. I glanced at the calendar this morning and realized that Save-a-Turkey Day is less than two weeks away…and I’ve yet to settle upon a Tofurky recipe!

I usually stick with the classic soy sauce and OJ baste recipe, but last year I got all adventurous and tried out the Caramelized Onion and Cherry Relish roast, which was super yummy. Coming off of VeganMoFo, I think I might feel like a bit of a cheat if I don’t try something different. But what? Did I mention that I’m a super-annoying-fussy eater?

The good peoples at Turtle Island Foods have really “beefed” up the selection of Tofurky recipes available on their website. In addition to the old standbys, there are recipes for a Maple-Pecan Tofurky Roast, South of the Border Tofurky Bake, Yam Good Cranberry Tofurky, Tofurky Wellington, Ginger-Garlic Tofurky, Deep Fried Tofurky, Pomegranate/Cranberry Tofurky, Crock Pot Tofurky with Cranberry Onion sauce, and Tofurky a la King, as well as recipes for chili, stew, gumbo, pizza and gravy (!). If you try searching the Google for additional recipes, you’ll find that many of Turtle Island Foods’ concoctions are echoed elsewhere. The Vegetarian Resource Group does have a few original ideas, though, including a Korean Barbecued Tofurky, Glazed Tofurky, Tofurky Stew and Tofurky Aztec.

Turtle Island’s recipe for a Maple-Pecan Tofurky Roast sounds intriguing, but I’m a wee bit worried about the chili paste – too spicy for my overly sensitive taste buds? Maybe I’ll be a goober and stick with Matt Lush’s simple Tofurky baste suggestion: 3 tablespoons olive oil (or other vegetable oil) + 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 1/2 teaspoon ground sage. Or dare I try his third option, with apricot jam?

Any suggestions from the veg*n gallery? What are y’all doing for the holiday? Are you even celebrating the holiday?

Whether you are or you aren’t, PETA2 is giving away a few free Tofurkys. Just blog about “why you won’t be eating turkeys this Thanksgiving (for all of your friends to see!), then leave a link to your blog as a comment below” – by November 19 – and drop a link to your entry in the comments.

Why won’t I be eating a dead bird on 11-27, you ask?

Because there’s someone behind – inside, actually – that meal. A previously living, breathing, loving, thinking, sentient being, with rights and interests far more important than my wish for a meaty meal.

Turkeys are always welcome at my place, of course, just not in the oven.

So, why won’t you be eating a turkey – and what will you be eating instead?

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare contest peta peta2 thanksgiving save-a-turkey day tofurky turtle island foods recipes dinner holidays observances turkeys wild turkeys flickr photos vegan veganism vegetarian vegetarianism

—– Original Message —–
From: No Kill Advocacy Center
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 5:48 PM
Subject: The No Kill Movement Today

A Call for Essays!

THE NO KILL MOVEMENT TODAY

What has changed for our movement? What have we discovered? What do we still have to accomplish? In other words, where is the No Kill Movement today?

The No Kill Advocacy Center is teaming up with The No Kill Nation in calling for essays about where the movement is today. All entries (subject to conditions below) will receive a free personally signed copy of Redemption, the book which has been called “a passionate advocacy for ending the killing of homeless dogs and cats in shelters.” The most thoughtful essay will receive two free registrations to the No Kill Conference in Washington D.C. (nokillconference.org). Winning entries will be published in The No Kill Advocate.

In September, the book Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and The No Kill Revolution in America celebrated its one year anniversary in release. Redemption is being called “powerful and inspirational,” “ground-breaking,” and “a must read for anyone who cares about animals.” Nominated as the Best Book by the Dog Writers Association of America and winner of a Silver Medal from the Independent Publishers Association, the book shatters the notion that killing animals in U.S. shelters is an act of kindness.

The book has not only helped shift the national debate about killing, but also played a direct role in helping to transform communities. A rescuer in Washington received this from the shelter manager she gave a copy of Redemption:

She just called to say that [she] has read the book and has had a 180 degree turn around. She told [us] that she now sees they have all been brain washed. The book is going to make the rounds of the staff. The personal goal of the manager is no dogs [killed] due to space this year.

After reading Redemption, Porter County (Indiana) commissioners and advocates succeeded in getting the 20-year shelter director of the county’s animal control shelter in Valparaiso and almost all of the staff removed from their positions. What was once a shelter that killed the vast majority of dogs and cats, sold live animals to a research facility on the side, and even cruelly killed the animals has been No Kill since a new team took over. During a recent visit, dogs were playing outside, were being walked by volunteers, kittens were being bottle fed, adopters were coming through the shelter in droves, the place was clean, and the animals had enrichment items to play with and soft blankets to sleep on.

As Redemption celebrates its first anniversary, Tompkins County enters its seventh No Kill year, Charlottesville enters its third, and new communities like those in Reno, NV and Valparaiso, IN enter the No Kill club. Other communities—in Montana, Michigan, and elsewhere—have also embraced No Kill, and many others are aggressively moving in that direction. No Kill is on the agenda of local governments nationwide as advocates in communities as diverse as King County (Seattle), WA and Indianapolis, IN are using Redemption and the model it advocates to force changes in the practices of local shelters.

In honor of the one year Anniversary, the author has donated copies of Redemption to The No Kill Nation to give away. And we are joining in by offering two free registrations to the No Kill Conference in Washington D.C.

The No Kill Nation is sponsoring a call for essays/blogs entitled “The No Kill Movement Today”: What has changed for our movement? What have we discovered? What do we still have to accomplish? In other words, where is the No Kill movement today?

All submissions (of at least one page) received by October 1, 2008 will receive a free personally autographed signed copy of Redemption (while supplies last). The most thoughtful essay will receive two free registrations to the No Kill Conference in Washington D.C. (nokillconference.org).

For more information or to join, visit www.thenokillnation.com or click here.

www.nokilladvocacycenter.org

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts No Kill Advocacy Center The No Kill Nation animal adoption animal rescue dog canine cat feline pet companion animal no kill contest events conference Copyright 2007 Nathan J. Winograd Copyright 2008 Nathan J. Winograd Nathan J. Winograd book essays

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Nick Jukes
Date: Sat, May 31, 2008 at 9:51 AM
Subject: 2008 Humane Education Award – launch

InterNICHE announces the 2008 Humane Education Award to support ethical and effective life science education and training.

The Award is a grant program to enhance biological science, medical and veterinary medical education and training. Supported by Proefdiervrij, the Award offers 20,000 Euro (US$ 25,000) to be split between successful applicants.

Proposals are invited from all countries for initiatives to replace animal experiments and the dissection of purposely killed animals. Applicants may be teachers, students, campaigners or any other individuals committed to best practice education and training.

Examples of projects that may be funded through the Award include:

* Development of a new freeware CD-ROM, film, model or mannekin to achieve replacement

* Purchase of existing alternative products to achieve replacement

* Establishment of a student-based self-experimentation program to replace animals in physiology practical classes

* Establishment of a body donation program for securing ethically-sourced animal cadavers to replace animals killed for anatomy or surgery training

* Establishment of clinical learning opportunities to replace the use of laboratory animals in clinical skills, surgery or other practical classes

* Establishment of non-invasive field studies to replace the use of laboratory animals in ethology or other practical classes

(more…)

Y’all might remember that I reviewed Mark Hawthorne’s Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism a few months ago. How I raved and raved?

Well, PETA is giving away five copies of the book. (I know, I know, five copies doesn’t make for good odds, but still.) You can enter to win here. Deadline is May 9 – my birthday!

G’luck.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare contests peta people for the ethical treatment of animals mark hawthorne striking at the roots books activism