Saturday marked the beginning of World Week for Animals in Laboratories (WWAIL), which is being held from April 18th through the 26th this year.

In addition to emailing the White House Office of Public Liason (OPL) (see below), you can find additional ways to take action at www.wwail.org. You can view a list of 2009 events here, or register your own. IDA helpfully provides a bevy of literature, posters and stickers for your events – no matter how big or small – which you can view and download here.

Striking at the Roots’ Mark Hawthorne also offers his suggestions for 5 Things You Can Do to Help Animals in Labs.

Are you participating in WWAIL? Share your action and outreach ideas in the comments!

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals
Date: Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Subject: Take Action Today For World Week for Animals in Laboratories (WWAIL)

World Week for Animals in Laboratories (WWAIL) Is Here!

April 18 – 26 – Scroll down for an important message you should send to President Obama

In February 2009, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) received an additional $10.4 billion in funding. This money is in addition to NIH’s 2009 budget of $30.3 billion.

Although technology has progressed and there is broad acknowledgment of the flaws of animal models, NIH funding for animal research has remained unchanged and the numbers of animals used has increased.

Please join IDA in contacting the White House Office of Public Liaison during World Week for Animals in Laboratories (WWAIL) to ask that the $10.4 billion in stimulus money be designated exclusively for non-animal research. Click here to read IDA’s letter to President Obama.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – KinshipCirclePrimary [at] accessus.net
Date: Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 9:31 PM
Subject: We Are Their Hope [Friends Of Kinship Circle, 4/13/09]

4/13/09: We Are Their Hope

friendsofkinshipcircle.wordpress.com

* KINSHIP CIRCLE DOES NOT WRITE OR RESEARCH THESE ALERTS.
* QUESTIONS? CONTACT ALERT WRITERS. PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY.

IN THIS ALERT:

1. Recent Kinship Circle Alerts Are A Click Away
2. Pound Seizure & Humane Euthanasia
3. Save Stu – Wrongfully Impounded Since 9/15/05
4. New England Animal Rights Workshop 6/13/09
5. Party To End Puppy Mills On 4/19/09
6. Urge Portugal City To Become Anti-Bullfighting
7. We Are Their Hope: World Lab Animal Liberation Week
8. Vegans Take On The “3 Peaks” Challenge

(more…)

Today is the Day of Silence,

a student-led national event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take some form of a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior. The event is designed to illustrate the silencing effect of this bullying and harassment on LGBT students and those perceived to be LGBT.

The DOS organizers explain:

As the Day of Silence approaches we’ve been getting lots of questions and comments along two similar but distinct threads on our various websites and in our email.

1) Do I need to be silent all day? Can I communicate at all? Can I blog/tweet/facebook?

2) Being silent doesn’t help and only perpetuates the problem. We should be speaking out.

The answer to both of these is similar: being silent has been and continues to be a very powerful way to create positive dialogue around the problem of anti-LGBT bullying for many students across the country. However, each person who participates in the Day of Silence has a different way of participating.

For some, the best way to participate is by being completely silent, including not participating in online communication. For others, the best way to participate is by spending the day speaking out about the issues of LGBT bullying. Some who participate get limited approval from their schools for their participation and so can only be silent during breaks between classes. There are many ways of participation ranging from complete silence to no silence.

The point is that the DOS is a day to bring attention to the problem of anti-LGBT bullying and each person who participates must determine how they can best use, or not use, their voice to do that. If you feel you will have the deepest positive impact by remaining completely silent and have the appropriate approvals to do so then go for it. If you feel that in your situation, you can have a deeper positive impact by speaking out then that should be your way of observing. No one can make that determination but you.

Your voice, whether silent or loud, WILL make a difference this Friday and the Day of Silence will speak volumes.

The DOS isn’t just for students, however. Adults can participate as well, by signing the pledge of solidarity; speaking out against anti-LGBTQ prejudice and bullying; observing a day of silence, whatever form that may take; Tweeting about the DOS; writing about the DOS on Facebook, your blog or similar; silencing your blog; and/or wearing red or rainbow-colored clothing.

In observance of the Day of Silence, easyVegan.info will remain silent for the rest of the day. Please take this opportunity to check out the Day of Silence blog and website, and educate yourself about LGBTQ issues.

(more…)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – KinshipCirclePrimary [at] accessus.net
Date: Tue, Apr 7, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Subject: Historic Spay/Neuter Bill Needs Your Voice

FRIENDS OF KINSHIP CIRCLE / PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

friendsofkinshipcircle.wordpress.com

* KINSHIP CIRCLE DOES NOT WRITE OR RESEARCH THESE ALERTS.
* CONTACT ALERT WRITERS. PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY.

=========================

California: Spay/Neuter Bill Needs Your Voice Now

ALERT WRITER / REPLY TO:
Judie Mancuso, President, Social Compassion In Legislation (SCIL)

20 A 501(c)(4) non-profit – reducing pet overpopulation through legislation
stc34 [at] aol.com * www.SocialCompassionInLegislation.org

**ATTACHED ALERT CONTAINS DIRECT LINKS TO SAMPLE LETTER + CONTACT INFO**

BACKGROUND:

Together, can make California a humane model for the nation. Our first SB 250 hearing is scheduled for April 15, 2009 in the Senate Local Government Committee. We need your letters and support calls as soon as possible. Please consider printing out letters for others to sign, then faxing all the letters to Senator Florez. Thank you so much for your dedication to pets in California and for your desire to help decrease euthanasia in our state. DETAILED INFO ON SB 250: www.YESonSB250.com

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Today marks the first day of spring – and the beginning of a weekend’s worth of Meatout festivities!

What is “Meatout,” you ask?

On (or around) March 20 — the first day of spring — thousands of caring people in all 50 U.S. states and two dozen other countries get active to host educational Meatout events. Activities include colorful festivals, lectures, public dinners, feed-ins, cooking demos, food samplings, leafleting, information tables and more.

The occasion is Meatout, the world’s largest and oldest annual grassroots diet education campaign. This year is the 25th annual observance! Every spring, thousands of caring Meatout supporters educate their communities and ask their friends, families, and neighbors to pledge to “kick the meat habit (at least for a day) and explore a wholesome, compassionate diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”

This year’s theme is “Change Your Diet – Change the World!”

You can find a very lengthy (*smiles*) list of events here; register and/or plan for an event here (hint: it’s never too late to download your materials!); find a list of suggested activities here; download banners here; and send your family and friends some way cute ecards (such as the one above) here. Oh, and t-shirts – don’t forget the t-shirts!

If you’re not (yet!?) a vegetarian, please consider ordering a free vegetarian starter guide in celebration of the holiday. Use the Google to unearth the many options available. Meatout.org has plenty of recipes online, too, including a 7-day meal plan; check it here.

For a list of my favorite and to-make-soon meals, click on over to my delicious account, where I’ve tagged 216 (and counting) recipes. Delicious is a handy way to keep track of recipes; you can tag each link with the ingredients, meal type, etc., and then work backwards on a whim, searching for the perfect recipe in which to use all those squash you’ve got languishing in the garage (or wevs). Use the ‘notes’ field to comment on a recipe after you’re tried it. Say buh-bye to those stained index cards!

As for moi, as long as the weather holds, I’ll be outside, getting my garden ready for spring. This year, we’re converting two large planters along the driveway from flowerbeds to V-gardens (where the “V” stands for Victory and Vegan, naturally). It’s going to be a ton of work, but hopefully worth it. In addition to last year’s tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos, pumpkins, spaghetti squash, green and yellow squash, watermelon, cantaloupe and pumpkins, we hope to plant some blueberries, strawberries and raspberries this season. And of course, can’t forget all those apples, pears and apricots! I’m making myself hungry just thinking about it.

Now, who says vegans are deprived, hmmmm?

* Dave Coulier, anyone? Ugh. I just totally dated myself there.

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The Saturday before x-mas is reportedly “the biggest puppy buying day of the year,” according to In Defense of Animals (IDA). In response, the group has designated today the 1st Annual Nationwide “Adopt, Don’t Shop!” Day:

The Saturday before Christmas is the biggest puppy buying day of the year. This year, In Defense of Animals is teaming up with activists in dozens of cities around the country to educate the public about the horrors of pet factories and encourage people to adopt a homeless animal from a shelter or rescue group instead of buying one from a pet store.

What: December 20th, 12-3 pm
Where: Your local pet shop

Almost all pet stores around the nation are supplied by inhumane commercial breeding facilities (aka pet factories) where the breeding animals are imprisoned for life and used as breeding machines. Meanwhile, it’s estimated that nearly 5 million healthy cats and dogs (many of them purebred) are euthanized in American shelters every year simply because there aren’t enough homes for them. Make a commitment today to take action for the victims of pet factories and companion animal overpopulation today!

Join In Defense of Animals and friends at your local pet store to help end the abuses of pet factories.

You can find a list of events here.

Over at Vegan Soapbox, Elaine has a list of suggestions for online activism, including posting profiles of animals available for adoption on Petfinder and such. Which is a great idea; but first, let’s tackle a few myths about adopting vs. buying animals.

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Update, 12/03/08: Kinship Circle: Demo For Karley 12/03 + Comments Still Needed

Update, 11/20/08: See also: Six-Month Old Puppy Killed By Assistant Fire Chief In Riverside, California, an action alert from In Defense of Animals (IDA).

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Subject: Demo for Karley 11/15 – Puppy Fatally Beaten By L.A. Firefighter

Kinship Circle is forwarding the announcement below about a demo TODAY for Karley, the brutally killed puppy we issued an alert about on 11/14/08.

If you live in this California area, or know others who do, please cross-post the message below (quickly).

DO NOT RESPOND TO KINSHIP CIRCLE.
Contact: Lindy Greene
lindygreene [at] roadrunner.com
818-445-6711

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lindy Greene – lindygreene [at] roadrunner.com
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:33:20 -0800
Subject: RE: Demonstration for Karley

Los Angeles Assistant Fire Chief Glynn Johnson sits comfortably in his Riverside County home on paid administrative leave while the brutal beating of his neighbor’s 6-month-old puppy, Karley – which resulted in a crushed skull, dislocated eye, broken jaw, and broken nose – is being investigated.

The puppy had to be put down because of the degree of her suffering and the fact that she sustained permanent brain damage. The perp is claiming “self-defense” for his actions.

We are meeting at 2:00 P.M. on the corner of Washington St. and Van Buren Blvd. in Riverside County, CA 92504 on Saturday, November 15, 2008.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 7:56 PM
Subject: ACT NOW/ No Paradise For Breeding Birds [KC MEMBER ALERT]

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY – PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST
The following information is brought to you courtesy of Kinship Circle.
Please DO NOT hit reply! Respond directly to: justroar [at] comcast.net

ALERT FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE SUPPORTER:
10/9/08: ACT BEFORE 10/18 – No Paradise For Breeding Birds

ALERT FROM / REPLY TO:
Rachel Ogden, justroar [at] comcast.net

BACKGROUND:

Speakers Flock to World’s Largest Bird Store While Breeding Birds Languish

On October 18 and 19, 2008, Bird Paradise, the self-proclaimed “world’s largest bird store,” will host its fifth annual “Parrot Palooza” featuring professionals from the bird trade including Dr. Irene Pepperburg, Sally Blanchard, Lara Joseph and Madeleine Franco. SEE SUMMARY AFTER SAMPLE LETTER

CONTACT INFORMATION / TAKE ACTION:

1. Are you in the New Jersey area? Join us on Saturday, October 11, 2008 for a peaceful demonstration in front of the Bird Paradise store.
WHAT: Peaceful Demonstration against Bird Paradise
WHEN: Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
WHERE: Public right of way in front of Bird Paradise, 551 E Rt. 130 S, Burlington, NJ 08016
CONTACT: Rowan Morrison, 610-733-1248, boycottbirdparadise [at] gmail.com

2. Letters and calls needed ASAP to the speakers and promoters asking for their help to prevent the continued suffering and exploitation of birds. These speakers and bird advocacy groups should be working to help birds, not increase the profits of one of the worst exploiters.

(more…)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Last Chance for Animals
Date: Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 5:50 AM
Subject: Only 3 Days left until Puppy Mill Awareness Day! Join LCA in Lancaster, PA

Reminder, Puppy Mill Awareness Day! – Saturday, September 20th, 2008

Join Last Chance for Animals (LCA) and over 40 other groups in our 5th Annual Puppy Mill Awareness Day!

Photo via Star Cat

Puppy Mill Awareness Day (PMAD) is held every September in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, known as “The Puppy Mill Capital of the East Coast.” Lancaster has more puppy mills per capita than any other county in the United States.

Puppy mills are filthy, overcrowded, breeding facilities that mass produce puppies for sale. There are thousands of puppy mills across the country, producing over 500,000 puppies per year. These facilities, most of which are inspected and licensed by the USDA are notorious for their filthy, overcrowded conditions and the unhealthy dogs they produce.

What: Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2008

When: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 11am-5pm

Where: Intercourse Community Park
At the corner of Old Philadelphia Pike and Royal Circle. 500 feet east of Intercourse, PA

Who: Special guests include – LCA president Chris DeRose, Rescue Ink, CAPS president Deborah Howard and more…

For more information on PMAD go to www.awarenessday.org

Puppy Mill Awareness Day in your town!

If you would like to organize a PMAD in your area, please contact LCA’s volunteer coordinator at volunteer [at] lcanimal.org or call (310) 271- 6096 ext 27

Visit BanPuppyMills.com for learn about the puppy mill industry.

Please donate to keep LCA investigators in the field to put an end to puppy mills!

For the Animals,
Campaigns Department
Last Chance for Animals

Last Chance for Animals | 8033 Sunset Blvd. #835 | Los Angeles | CA | 90046

lcanimal.org

———————-

Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts lca last chance for animals dog canine pet companion animal puppy mill breeding events Lancaster County Lancaster Pennsylvania september 20 flickr photos

—– 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

——————–

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