Animal Welfare Trust

Past grant recipients have included a doctoral student who worked with the FBI to conduct a study on the link between animal cruelty and personal violence, a law student who interned at Neighborhood Cats to draft a model TNR ordinance, and a vet student who developed a program on alternatives to the use of live animals in surgical training in vet school curriculums.

The deadline is March, 2012. If you are in graduate school, or you know someone who is who deeply cares about animals, this is too good an opportunity to pass up.

Animal Legal and Historical Center

The Animal Legal and Historical Center is an absolutely invaluable website for anyone interested in animal law. Founded by Professor David Favre, an eminent and longstanding animal law scholar at Michigan State University School of Law, this voluminous and constantly updated website organizes over 12oo full text cases and 1400 statutes into subject areas. It also includes comprehensive descriptions and explanations of the original sources, original articles, links to articles on every conceivable animal law topic, and news updates on hot topics in animal law. If that weren’t enough, it also includes an international collection of materials.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund has recently released the sixth edition of it’s amazing resource, Animal Protection Laws of the United States of America and Canada. The entire 4000 pages, in searchable form, can be downloaded for free, and will provide you with “a detailed survey of the general animal protection and related statutes for all of the states, principal districts and territories of the United States of America, and for all of Canada; [and] up-to-date versions of each jurisdiction’s laws.”

Many law schools now provide research guides to animal law in their online library guides and, while they may not provide links which outsiders can use to access the materials, they can be a useful starting point for those who want to do research in this area who have access to Lexis or Westlaw, or other ways of accessing the materials. For example, UCLA’s Libguide provides a very useful research guide to animal law. Of particular interest is the section called Getting Started: Suggested Readings for Those New to Animal Law, which compiles articles of interest to those just finding out about animal law to help them in their journey. And, while you’re at it,  you should be aware that Westlaw itself now includes animal law as an individual subject area in its database.

There are now so many animal law journals published by law schools that it’s impossible to keep up! It’s so exciting. They include the venerable Animal Law out of Lewis and Clark, which has been published regularly since 1994(!), the Journal of Animal Law out of Michigan State University, and the Stanford Journal of Animal Law and Policy.

For less scholarly, and more newsy ways to stay on top of animal law, you might want to regularly peruse new issues of The Animals’ Advocate, published by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Another great resource is the Animal Blawg, which was founded by Professor David Cassuto of Pace Law School, and is updated quite regularly. Or, quickest and easiest, just “like” the facebook page of the Animal Law Committee of the American Bar Association’s TIPS section, where articles of interest to animal lawyers — and animal lovers — are posted on a daily basis.

In addition to these awards for people, there are several awards for particular pieces of work. These include Media of the Year, Undergraduate Paper/Project/Thesis of the Year, Graduate Paper/Project/Dissertation of the Year, and Faculty Paper/Project of the Year. If you are proud of one of your accomplishments in this area, or know someone who has produced stellar work during the past year, check out the requirements and get your nomination in now.

While we’re on the subject, you probably will want to consider submitting a proposal for a presentation to be made at the Institute’s annual conference, which will be held at Canisius College, in Buffalo, on March 2-4. The theme of this year’s conference will be From Greece to Wall St.: Global Economic Revolutions and Critical Animal Studies, and they are seeking presentations from a wide variety of disciplines on a wide variety of topics, including Critical Criminology, Animals in Relations to Religion and Spirituality, Social Networking, and Redefining Nature. The proposal only needs to be 500 words, so even though it’s also due on January 15, there’s no reason not to jump on this and get it in.

March 30-31, 2012

Of course, humans share their vulnerability not only with other humans, but with all the sentient creatures of this planet. That is why it is exciting to see that the latest project of this Initiative is a workshop entitled, “An Uncomfortable Conversation: Human Use of Animals.” And it’s also exciting to see that it recognizes that, not only do animals share humans’ vulnerability, they are additionally vulnerable to the enormous suffering imposed upon them by humans.

A few of the guiding questions for the workshop are: “Where do our obligations to animals originate — their capacity to suffer or other morally relevant properties; rights; relation to humans, and/or vulnerability to harm?” “What is the significance of the fact that humans create and control the permanent dependency of domestic animals?” and “Are animals made vulnerable by their legal status as property, human creation, or use, and how should individuals, private entities, or the state respond to such vulnerability?”

If these are the kind of questions that intrigue you, a call for papers has been issued, and proposals are due on February 1, 2012. The workshop itself will be held on March 30-31, 2012.

As for myself, I certainly didn’t start out as a teacher. I am a lawyer, and have been for longer than I care to admit in this blog entry. But law was one of the first areas of academia to focus on animal issues in a serious way, and law schools were eager to find people with some expertise in the brand new field of animal law to teach courses. Thus, about 5 years ago, my teaching career was born.

These days, when I’m not running Our Hen House with Jasmin, I teach animal law as an adjunct at 3 law schools in New York City — positions I hold near to my heart, even if it has caused me a few grey hairs in the process. Incidentally, those grey hairs are thanks to the nature of the work itself, given that I am, since birth, an introvert. It has nothing to do with my incredible and eager students, nor does it involve the coursework, which I frequently find riveting. There are so many aspects of teaching that I love — but, let me tell you, I never thought I would be the one standing at the podium. I have found that, sometimes, animal advocacy combines with life in an unusual and unpredictable way. I am, indeed, “the professor and Mariann.” (If you are too young to get that reference, I don’t even want to know about it.)

If you’ve never taught before, it may — at first, anyway — seem a bit daunting. It certainly did for me (and, truth be told, it still has its moments). In order to ease your way in, one way to start fairly small is to explore the adult education resources in your area. Perhaps there is a formal adult education program at your local community college, or your nearby high school. Or perhaps your community library has adult ed programs. Or there may be a private provider of continuing education courses, such as New York’s Open Center. Look at the current course offerings and think about what sort of class you would want to pitch that would fit in with the type of courses they offer. One idea might be a broad introduction to the issues involved in animal rights. Another idea is a focus on animals in food production. Or, if you’re a lawyer, you could teach one on the fundamentals of animal law. That could be a great opportunity to inform people on the laws concerning some of the everyday issues that confront them regarding their pets, while also broadening their knowledge-base about animal exploitation.

Can you cook? (If so, feel free to drop by for dinner.) A course in the fundamentals of vegan cooking is one of the most valuable things you could offer someone who wants to live more compassionately, but doesn’t know where to start. And such a course could give you the entrée (pun intended) to offer people some much-needed information about vegan nutrition. People are hungry for this information (pun intended again), and, as you make it available to them, you can literally save their lives — along with the animals. How’s that for food for thought?

If you have some academic credentials, you might want to think about moving beyond adult education. Animal studies is now a growing and vibrant part of almost every academic field, as the New York Times has recently recognized, and undergraduate courses in animal studies are booming, as is also evident from the directory kept by the Animals and Society Institute. Our friend David Wolfson, who has taught animal law for many years, is now teaching an undergraduate Animals and Public Policy course at New York University, as part of their minor in Animal Studies. These kinds of opportunities are going to be growing by leaps and bounds, and there are not that many people with the expertise to fill them. Moreover, we certainly don’t want to see the field of animal studies coopted by industry, or by people with a shortsighted view of the issues.

Needless to say, undergraduate teaching gigs may be difficult to get for the beginner. However, community colleges could certainly be a possibility. It’s 2012 — the year of taking chances! That’s according to me, anyhow — and I just made that up right now. But, hey, let’s go with it. If teaching is something you’ve always wanted to do, but it seems scary to you, that’s because it’s a Big Deal. But it’s also a totally necessary step in terms of long-term change for animals, and there are ways of approaching it that are both attainable and fulfilling. It doesn’t have to be terrifying. Don’t make it harder than it is.

While we’re on the subject, if you are, like me, a lawyer, remember that there are still not a lot of people out there with an expertise in animal law, and there are a ton of law schools adding courses — so the possibility of getting an adjunct professorship is very real. If there’s already a course at your local law school, think about pitching a separate course on, say, companion animal law, or farmed animal law, or some kind of other subset of animal law. Or, if all of this seems way too daunting, think about hooking up with your bar association to teach a Continuing Legal Education program on your area of expertise. Believe me, one thing can lead to another!

Maybe teaching feels outside your comfort zone. If so, try to rethink. While you may have to brush up your public speaking skills (Toastmasters, anyone?) or overcome your shyness (if I can do it, anyone can), you already possess the most important thing that any teacher can have — the truth.

So it’s no wonder that so many of those who care about animals are eager to get involved in legal work. Of course, many, many lawyers who care about animals don’t make animal law their career. Instead, they help out animal organizations by doing pro bono work whenever they can. Or, even better, by bringing lawsuits that do good for the animals and make them a lot of money at the same time. But for those who want to do this full-time, there are some opportunities out there. Here are a few current ones:

For law students, an upaid summer internship with an animal protection organization is the most valuable experience that you can get, regardless of whether you ultimately make animal law your full-time career, or your part-time passion. Compassion Over Killing is seeking legal interns for this summer and I can’t think of a better learning opportunity than working with Cheryl Leahy, COK’s general counsel and one of the best and the brightest that animal law has to offer. For more information, contact COK at legal[at]cok.net. The Humane Society of the United States is also seeking interns for their crack legal department.

On the professor front, Lewis and Clark University currently has a few outstanding opportunities. They are seeking a visiting faculty member to teach animal law starting in the 2012-2013 academic year . They are also seeking an administrator (with teaching responsibilities) for their brand spanking new LLM program in animal law. And even if you’re not a professor, if you have an expertise in animal law, don’t hesitate to check out whether you local law school has a course in animal law. If not, you may be just the person they are looking for to start one up.

Careers in Animal Law

Lawyers who want a job practicing law with an animal protection organization have to look to organizations large enough to have a legal department, or at least a general counsel, and these will not always be organizations with a specifically vegan philosophy. But, as long as the job doesn’t involve work that you actually don’t believe in, that can actually present a wonderful opportunity to bring a vegan philosophy into your workplace. These jobs can be hard to find, but they’re out there. One organization that is looking right now is the ASPCA, which wants to fill two remote positions, Legal Advocacy Counsel, which will involve the provision of back-up and hands-on assistance to prosecutors and investigators involved in animal cruelty cases across the country, and State Legislative Director. Another possibility is to look for an opportunity on the environmental side of animal law. For example, Defenders of Wildlife is currently seeking an Endangered Species Policy Associate, and Earthjustice is seeking associate attorneys in its offices in Florida and Alaska.

For further ideas on how to find a job in animal law, or to fit animal law into your career, you might want to check out Yolanda Eisenstein’s new book, Careers in Animal Law.

In Roxborough, a Philadelphia neighborhood, hundreds of toads migrate from nearby woods and gardens to the Roxborough Reservoir. Each year, more than a hundred toads are squished by cars on their way to the Reservoir. In Toad Detour, a community-wide project to save these toads’ lives, the first step was to make people aware of the problem.

Second, the caring people behind the Detour, along with a number of organizations — including the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education and Mobilization For Animals – banded together, got the cooperation of local authorities, and came up with a workable solution. During the migration season, a cadre of volunteers went out on the roads to establish a temporary road detour. Not only did they man (person?) the barricades to avert traffic, they armed themselves with signs and brochures to educate the community about helping the toads migrate safely.

Toad Detour

Third, they didn’t keep it to themselves. They created a website and a facebook page to spread the word.

You might think that all that is enough, but these folks took it to the next level. The fourth step was that filmmaker Burgess Coffield decided to make a film of the project, which will enable so many more people to learn about it and be inspired to apply it in their own communities. If you’re anywhere near Philly, a screening of the film will take place tomorrow, Saturday, December 10.

I am sure you are wondering what could possibly be fifth. Well, there will be refreshments served at the screenings, and all of the food will be vegan. A gentle reminder to all who come to find out about the toads, that all the animals need our caring.

Perfect.

The problem is, of course, how do you get people who haven’t yet seen the light to read some of that literature so it can enlighten them? Well, one idea that I love is to make some books about animals part of a reading series. Here in New York, one of our favorite reading series, Free Range Nonfiction (I know, I know, the name is a bit offputting but, I promise, they’re not talking about “humane” eggs, they’re talking about a free-wheeling approach to nonfiction) is having a special animal night featuring the works of Alison Espach, Alison Smith, and Hannah Tinti (Disclaimer: I am not yet familiar with any of these authors, but my curiosity is definitely piqued.) Not everyone who runs Free Range is vegan (or even vegetarian), which is one of the great things about the fact that animals have made it on to the agenda for the evening, and that Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary will be the beneficiary of the night’s proceeds.

With a few tweaks, this kind of program can be replicated anywhere. Free Range features authors reading from their own works, but if that’s too hard to pull off where you are, think about doing a reading with, maybe, one author reading his or her own work (or work-in-progress), and then a few really good readers reading from the works of some of the classics. Black Beauty is one that springs to mind. (If it’s a copyrighted work and you intend to read a long excerpt and you want to be very cautious, you might want to get permission, which should not be hard to do). Maybe your local library would be willing to sponsor the event.

Of course, in addition to a formal reading series, if you’re part of a reading group, you can always recommend a book that changed your heart about animal issues. Maybe it’ll change a few more.

Oh Canada!

Well, not to worry, Toronto’s food is outrageous. In fact, it’s so good that Jasmin had to get it into a video — A Vegan Taste of Toronto — so that when others, like you, are planning a trip, you will know exactly where to go. Luckily, since we only had a few days there, Jasmin managed to find two very vegan-savvy locals to show her the ins and outs. Jo-Anne McArthur is not only an incredible photographer and photojournalist who has devoted herself to capturing the lives of animals around the world and recording them in the ongoing project We Animals, but she is also a woman who knows her soy-chicken and waffles from top to bottom. And Karol Orzechowski, a filmmaker who is in the midst of production for his in-depth look at the animals, and people, caught in the trap of vivisection – Maximum Tolerated Dose – found some restaurants for Jasmin to visit that even other local vegans hadn’t been to yet.

We hope you enjoy this quick virtual trip to Toronto, which we made in collaboration with VegNews TV. We are sure it will inspire you to try the real thing very soon.

There’s a t-shirt maker up in Vermont who has done just that. Just by making his incredibly popular t-shirts bearing what anyone would think of as the virtuous, and utterly uncontroversial, slogan, “Eat More Kale,” Bo Muller-Moore has managed to get some folks in the chicken torturing business to make total fools of themselves. Nice work!

The marketing whizzes at Chick-fil-A (which, I want to take a minute to note, is an incredibly bad product name — are they trying to misspell “filet”? Is it some kind of play on words? I don’t get it) are, of course, known for their particularly offensive series of commercials in which cartoon cows use signs to encourage people to “eat mor chikin.” Get it? Isn’t that hilarious?!? You see, if you eat more chicken, you won’t be eating beef, and so cows will be spared some of the torture and hideous deaths you’re going to bestow on chickens instead. Ha! And the other thing that’s really funny is that cows are so stupid that they don’t know how to spell! Wow, I am laughing so hard my sides are splitting! This is apparently what passes for humor in the utterly sick world of selling people death. One can only imagine the amount of denial that one must have to enter into about what meat really is in order to find amusement in this travesty.

Eat More Kale

But, I digress…. My focus today isn’t the severe psychological dysfunction that underlies the “humor” in the Chick-fil-A ad campaign. It’s the fact that the folks who run that charming company seem to think they now have the prerogative to prohibit anyone else from telling people to “eat more” of anything other than chicken and have threatened to sue Muller-Moore if he does not stop selling his shirts and turn over his website to Chick-fil-A. No, I am not kidding. Of course, the whole purpose behind trademark laws is to prevent people from confusing one brand with another, thus giving the interloper a free ride on a well-established brand that someone has spent time and money on. So, apparently Chick-fil-A’s lawyers think that people are running to buy “Eat More Kale” shirts from some guy in Vermont because of the incredibly offensive ad campaign depicting cows telling people to” eat mor chikin.” Crazy, right? But apparently they have, with their fancy cease-and-desist letters, scared many other businesses into not encouraging people to eat more whatever.

Bo Muller-Moore

Happily, unlike those other victims of corporate lawyer threats, our trusty Vermont t-shirter is not rolling over. It kind of reminds me of the David and Goliath tale of the McLibel case, where the geniuses who run McDonald’s made fools of themselves trying to sue two English activists who had handed out flyers claiming, among many other things, that McDonald’s was culpable for animal cruelty. If you want to learn the very entertaining story of how that turned out for Mickey D (not well, I can assure you), you should check out the excellent documentary made about that case, which you can watch online for a fee, or you can get from Netflix.

If you are interested in supporting Muller-Moore, you can, of course, buy a t-shirt online. Fair warning — unfortunately, he also sells “Cheese” t-shirts and it appears to be referring to dairy-derived cheese. I wish we could think of a way to sue him for that!

In fact, just a week or two ago, you could have caught some music at the Fun Fun Fun Fest, where they had bands ranging from Slayer, Danzig, Hum and Public Enemy to Childish Gambino, Odd Future and M83 to Cannibal Corpse and Eyehategod. Hey, some of these bands are so famous even I’ve heard of them!

But, even more important than the music, they also had a hot dog eating conference. “Yuck,” you say? “How disgusting,” you remark? “Texas, what do you expect?,” you dismissively, and oh-so-foolishly, complain? Well, take it back, ’cause this particular competitive eating fest was all vegan.

i Love Mike Litt

The contest was put on by progressive event organizer, i love Mike Litt, which is devoted to bringing “people together to teach, entertain, and inspire one another.” In aid of that admirable goal is one of the hallmarks of their events, i.e., the “soft promotion” of veganism.

Of course there was some snarky press beforehand (“… veggie dogs — now you’re talking about food that most rational people won’t even eat one of”), but, hey, it’s press. And, in fact, these dogs sounded amazing. No mere mustard and relish for these folks. One dog was garnished with sour cherry relish, soy yogurt and chopped fresh mint, another with fried olives, smoked sea salt and Spanish romesco sauce, and the third with black bean and espresso vegan chili. Yowsa. If the way to not-yet-vegans’ hearts is through their stomachs, these folks are well on their way.

Captain Paul Watson

And now this message is about to get even bigger. Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson is a documentary that is now hitting the festivals and will soon be gaining wider exposure. According to Variety, the movie has plenty of human drama. While definitely portraying Watson as a hero, it doesn’t hide any of what some people might call flaws, and delves into some of the divisiveness between him and other environmentalists, prominently Greenpeace. But most importantly, and as is clear from the trailer, this human drama serves as the vehicle for telling the story of what is happening to the animals. As such, the “film is certain to attract devotees to the cause.”

Films that tell the truth about animals are the most powerful tool available to activists. It is exciting to find that another one will soon be available to help spread the word.

Designed primarily for use by law enforcement personnel, this guide, issued by the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, offers “tools, practices, and procedures that contribute to effective responses to dog-related incidents and encounters where dogs are present.” As we all know, shootings of dogs by the police — completely unnecessary and unwarranted shootings — are all too common. Law enforcement encounters with dogs happen all the time, whether officers are making traffic stops, serving warrants, investigating, or even pursuing suspects, and all too often innocent dogs get caught in the middle.

The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters

This guide provides some desperately needed advice to officers in handling such dog-related incidents with sensitivity and intelligence, rather than just knee-jerk fear. It offers an “in-depth look into developing effective strategies in assessing a dog’s environment; what dog posture, vocalization, and facial expressions mean; options for distracting and escaping from a dog; defensive options in dealing with a dog; asking the right questions in dog investigations; and effective gathering of dog evidence and report writing.” 

This is clearly an important resource, and anyone interested in this issue should not only familiarize themselves with this report, but should make sure that their local law enforcement agency is aware of it and will use it to educate officers in handling dog-related incidents safely, for all the parties involved. You can download it for free or order copies on the DOJ website.

Although animal lawyers around the country are focused intently on this case, for plenty of other lawyers, it’s just one more preemption case, and for non-lawyers, it’s just another example of legal mumbo-jumbo. The sick and injured pigs who are at the center of the case can get lost amongst the legal technicalities. Clearly, for activists, this presents an opportunity to remind everyone that this high-profile case truly matters — that pigs sent to slaughter suffer horribly, and states should be allowed to pass laws protecting animals when the Federal government has failed to do so.

Photo courtesy Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org)

That’s one reason we are so excited that the New York University Student Animal Legal Defense Fund managed to get some of their most prestigious faculty members — Catherine Sharkey, William T. Comfort, III, Roderick Hills, Jr. and Richard Epstein, as well as New York Court of Appeals Judge, Robert Smith — to participate in a “moot court” of the case, in which they act out the roles of advocates and judges, to air the arguments on each side and inform the audience about the case. Even better, they videotaped the event, and a link to the video  and the article about the event ended up on the front page of the NYU Law website.

In spite of all the technical legal issues involved, it’s not possible to discuss this case in this kind of detail without considering the animal cruelty issues at its center. Thus, all of the people who went to this event or watch this video because they are interested in the legal scholarship involved or impressed by the participants now have had an opportunity to be introduced to the ones who really matter here — the pigs.

Photo at top of blog: Courtesy of Farm Sanctuary

The play, entitled, “Pigeon” (okay, already I am liking this, pigeons being among my very favorite animals), focuses on a conversation between Rothschild and a group of students, just prior to her delivery of a lecture entitled “Animals and Man” at Oxford. Rothschild agonizes over the use of animals in research, while also confronting her own use of lab animals in the past. Enticingly, the play’s description states that “‘Pigeon’ uses dramatic and musical means, as well as audience interaction, to explore the problem of suffering and human indifference to it.”

I’m not sure about the details of Rothschild’s attitudes toward animals and whether I would agree with them all. Notably, however, she has been described as “a passionate advocate for animal rights,” and it is clear that she was a vegetarian and deeply opposed to cruelty to animals. She was also the world’s leading expert on fleas. Sadly, it just doesn’t seem to be that often that a deep regard for the well-being of animals is found in those who study them scientifically. I’m glad to have learned of her work, and I just hope that this play will be performed soon in some place that I can see it. At the moment, the one-woman show is being staged at colleges around the country. On November 8, it can be seen at Western Michigan University.

Most of all, I am so thrilled to see issues and ideas about animals being discussed in theater, and I am also thrilled to see people looking at the lives and work of those who were advocating for animals, swimming against the tide, throughout history. For anyone who is interested in writing about animal issues, shining light on those who built the foundation of our movement is a wonderful way to recognize those people, as well as tell the stories of the animals they sought to protect.

Well, those days are over. I am inspired. I am empowered. I am in awe. And, most importantly, I now know that, like every other worthwhile endeavor, knitting can be a form of activism. Vegan knitting has arrived.

When Jasmin set out to make this video — Vegan Knitting 101 — for VegNews TV with vegan knitting authority Beth Begany, we never imagined just how many beautiful vegan yarns were out there ready to be turned into wearable art. Beth’s skills are truly extraordinary — she not only seems to know every stitch ever invented but she can turn out a scarf in the time it takes me to put on my socks (which she also made, of course) — but even if I never get to her level, I know I will never again leave a project unfinished, wasting away in a drawer, waiting sadly for me to pick it up again. I now know that by finishing my projects and proudly wearing (or gifting) them, I am spreading the word that the beauty and comfort and tradition of knitting, like everything else in our world, can not only be cruelty-free, but will be better than ever once we learn how to leave the sheep in peace.

Below is Jasmin’s speech. I recorded it on on an iPhone, by the way, which is a reminder to me of how easy it can be for anyone to bring attention to animal rights events by getting them online….

What’s the story here in the United States? The current state of the law is not entirely clear, but if this happens to you, you might want to see a lawyer.

Join Our Hen House as we celebrate the birthday of our co-founder and executive director, Jasmin Singer! We aim to have some fun and raise some funds, so join us for free cupcakes (thanks to our generous sponsor, Sweet Cheeks Vegan Bakery), comedy from funny man Myq Kaplan (yup – that’s the finalist from NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”), the opportunity to win a gorgeous designer Vaute Couture coat, a chance to catch up with old friends and/or make some new ones, and a cash bar featuring Jasmin’s favorite drink – Soy White Russians. (Plus, anything else you want to drink, if, unlike Jasmin, Soy White Russians make you gag.)

Heeeeeere's Jasmin! Photo by Jo-Anne McArthur

There is no cover charge to attend, but guests are encouraged to make a tax-deductible donation in any amount between $32 and $32 million (in honor of Jasmin’s 32nd birthday). As a thank you for donating, you will receive an ethically-sourced, vegan made Our Hen House tote bag (but only if you’re actually present at the celebration, so come on down! We want to see you! Did we mention it’s Jasmin’s BIRTHDAY??). Items from the Our Hen House Etsy Shop will also be available for purchase to help you get a jump on your holiday shopping (sorry for bringing it up, but, yeah, the holidays are upon us).

A hen only turns 32 once — and what better way to celebrate than by raising money for the organization that she pours her blood, sweat and tears into? Plus, it’s a good excuse to eat a cupcake.

The Deets:

What: Jasmin Singer’s Birthday Party/Our Hen House Fun-and-Fundraiser

Where: People’s Lounge; upstairs lunge area; 163 Allen Street b/w Stanton and Rivington; Lower East Side, NYC. MAP!

Why: Because a hen only turns 32 once. And what better way to celebrate than by raising money for the organization that she pours her blood, sweat and tears into? Plus, it’s a good excuse to eat a cupcake.

Questions: adrianne[at]ourhenhouse[dot]org.

RSVP: Through the official Facebook event page, please!

Can’t attend? Please consider making a tax-deductible donation in any amount to Our Hen House!

Don’t forget to check out our cute invitation below (ain’t it ducky?), or, for the version with all the click-throughs, check out this version!

That’s why we are so excited about the new class-action lawsuit against the dairy industry filed by dairy consumers (yes, sadly, they’re the only ones who can bring such a lawsuit) alleging that various dairy companies and trade groups, including the National Milk Producers Federation, Dairy Farmers of America, Land O’Lakes, Inc, and Agri-Mark, Inc., combined to fix the price of milk through their trade group, Cooperatives Working Together.

The lawsuit, which was filed yesterday in federal court in California, alleges that between 2003 and 2010, more than 500,000 cows were slaughtered by the defendants in a concerted effort to reduce the supply of milk, and thereby inflate its price. This added up to over $9 billion in extra profits for the defendants.

Cheryl Leahy

One of the best things about this lawsuit is the way it began. It was the legal department at Compassion Over Killing, headed up by the fabulous Cheryl Leahy, that initially theorized, researched and developed the case. However, given the nature of the case, it ultimately had to be handled by a private firm specializing in antitrust. As a result, the plaintiffs are now represented by the class action law firm of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, LLP, which, if it is successful, stands to earn some very big bucks.

This kind of synergy — animal protection groups thinking up ways to go after agribusiness to reduce the money that it’s making off of animal-based foods and private law firms happy to take on potentially enormously profitable lawsuits — is beyond exciting.

If you want further detail about the case, you can find it on COK’s website. And if, by any chance, you happened to purchase milk or milk products from 2004 to the present, and you’re willing to admit that, you want to get in on this. (Yes, pretty much everyone in the country other than long-term vegans are potential plaintiffs in this lawsuit.) You can call the firm at (206) 623-7292 or email them at CWT[at]hbsslaw.com.

Photo at top of blog courtesy of VINE Sanctuary. 

In conjunction with the Animals and Society Insitute, the Wesleyan Animal Studies program is now inviting applications for its sixth annual summer fellowship program for scholars pursuing research in Human-Animal Studies. Open to 6 to 8 fellows working in a wide variety of disciplines, the program will be hosted by Wesleyan faculty Lori Gruen (whose recent book, Ethics and Animals: An Introduction, was recently reviewed here at Our Hen House) and Kari Weill. Among the topics pursued in the past are “Animal Experimentation and Animal Welfare in Twentieth Century Anglo-American Science,” “The Animal Rights Movements in France and the United States,” and “Legal Personhood, Animal Advocacy, and Human-Animal Relationships.” And, because this is an exclusively “in-residence” program, there is a great deal of opportunity for cross-pollination, including mentorship, guest lectures, and scholarly exchange.

For the lucky few who are chosen, this clearly presents an opportunity of a lifetime. Applications for next summer’s program are due November 30, 2011.

Of course, this will be an opportunity to hear the point of view of many members of the dark side, including long time industry rep Steve Kopperud, who will be speaking on “The Pros and Cons of the Egg Industry/Humane Society of the U.S. Agreement,” as well as Joe Miller, General Counsel of Rose Acre Farms, one of Indiana’s largest and most notorious egg producers, who will offer his point of view on the “Impact of State Legislative Initiatives on Animal Welfare, What State Model is Preferred?”

United States Department of Agriculture

There will also be some government folks, and, most notably, at least one representative of the animal protection movement will be there, as Paul Shapiro, of the Humane Society of the United States, will be speaking about “Cooperation, Ballot Initiatives and the Humane Agenda.” I remember a few years ago, when I attended one of these symposia at the USDA, Paul was in the audience. It’s a sign of the changing times that he is now on the agenda. (I also remember the handful of animal advocates who were present searching desperately, and largely in vain, for something decent to eat at the USDA cafeteria. Maybe, given the agency’s new My Plate program, they will have a few more plants available to eat.)

This is a rare opportunity to suss out the positions of the industry and government agencies on some of the issues that concern us deeply. I hope a lot of people who actually truly do care about what’s good and bad for animals will take the opportunity to be there. The event, which will run from 9 AM to 4 PM, is free, but they ask that you pre-register by sending your name, affiliation, postal address, and preferred email address to: David Brubaker, 145 South Spruce Street, Lititz, PA 17543; or email to PennsylvaniaB[at]aol.com. On-site registration is available but discouraged. The event will be held at the Jefferson Auditorium in the South Agriculture Building, which can be accessed through the Wing 7 entrance of USDA headquarters, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W. in Washington, DC.

A Fall From Freedom

A Fall from Freedom promises to be an important contribution to the fight to end the captive dolphin and whale industry. Featuring in-depth conversations with scientists, biologists, animal trainers and activists, it not only reveals the absolute necessity of wildness for these animals, and the impossibility of providing them with humane lives in captivity, it goes directly to the source of the problem, Sea World.

According to the film’s press release, “Sea World is responsible for the death of thousands of dolphins and whales, so states former Sea World biologist Dr. John Hall.” The film aims to reveal the role that Sea World has played in the tragedy of the captive marine mammal industry, and highlights the work of those who are fighting against it.

This film could not be more timely, with the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan just getting under way. As with so many of the films that are emerging constantly on issues of crucial importance to animals, widespread distribution will ultimately rely on grassroots efforts. The film will be screened in September in San Rafael, CA, and can be streamed online or purchased online in DVD or MP4 format. Keep this movie in mind for potential screenings, whether at your local library, school, or just in your own home for friends and family. Marine mammals are very special and meaningful to so many people, even those who have not yet been enlightened regarding other animals. The more of them that can learn the truth, the less we will see of Sea World and its ilk.

One of the particularly great things about Minding Animals is that it spawns so many ancillary events. For example, there are other things going on at or around the time of the conference in the Netherlands, including a conference at the International School of Philosophy in Leusden. But more importantly for those of us who can’t travel to the main event are the “pre-conferences” that take place at various sites around the globe prior to the main conference. Several years ago, we attended one of these at Hunter College and were impressed by the wide range of scholarship.

Minding Animals

This year, the New York “pre-conference” is going to take place at New York University on October 14, 2011, and it’s particularly exciting that it will be timed to coordinate with the launch of NYU’s brand spanking new animal studies program. The topic for the day is intriguingly entitled, “Animal Studies: Changing the Subject?” and the speakers are, again, from a wide-ranging assortment of academic disciplines, including anthropology, ecology, ethology, sociology, social work, literature, and philosophy. So far, the list of speakers includes Ralph Acampora, Marc Bekoff (!), Jeffrey Bussolini,  Susan Crane, Lori Gruen, Jacques Lezra , Susan McHugh, and Gary Steiner.

This conference is not only open to the public, but it is also free (though it does require you to register). This is a truly exciting opportunity for those who don’t have a chance to enroll in an animal studies program to learn about some of the topics and inquiries this new field is starting to tackle.

This kind of access to original materials is one of the things that will help make animal studies a more and more legitimate area of scholarly research and writing. If you are interested in that kind of endeavor, you should know about this collection as one of the places to help you in your research. And, if you are one of those people who has been doing the animal thing for a while and doesn’t know what to do with those newsletters and mimeographs from the olden days that are clogging up your attic, you should be thinking about donating them.

101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian

101 Reasons, which is published by the VivaVegie Society, founded by Pam Rice, is not only chock full of vitally important information, but it is written in an incredibly accessible way. Each reason is stated succinctly and compellingly, and, I don’t know why this works, but there is no particular order or arrangement, so that each reason simply stands on its own. Somehow, this just makes it so easy to pick up, read a few bites of information (so to speak), and not get overwhelmed. And the information is so fascinating that you just have to keep taking one more bite.

The 9th edition of 101 Reasons has just been released, just in time for the 20th anniversary of the very first one. It is as valuable, or perhaps more so, than ever. You can  just order hard copies or, if you want to check out the product first, you can download one to take a look. I promise you, you will not be sorry.

Making a movie is a huge undertaking, with detail upon detail to be dealt with. Like everything worth doing, it’s a whole lot harder than it looks. Which is why we are so very thrilled that so many animal advocates, whether they are experienced filmmakers, like the folks who made Bold Native, or out and out beginners, like Marisa Miller Wolfson of Vegucated fame, are putting in the enormous amount of work that it takes to produce a quality product.

One of the new ones that is really intriguing us is Got the Facts on MIlk? Not only does this film look incredibly informative on the health disaster that is cows’ milk production, but it promises to be “humorous.” Yowsa. Let’s face it — it’s a whole lot easier to get people to watch something that’s funny, even if the underlying message is anything but.

Another new movie to keep an eye on is Beyond the Myth, which attempts to convey the truth about pit bulls (the truth being that they’re the sweetest puppies on the planet. Ask Rose.) Although this movie is not yet available on DVD, it is one to  keep an eye on, since it could be a valuable tool in fighting breed discrimination. Screenings are coming up in Boston and Kentucky, and they are looking for people to host screenings in other locales.

The extraordinary activism that a film can accomplish starts with the vision and hard work of a filmmaker. But, ultimately, the work of using these films to spread the word about what’s happening to animals is work that we all need to share in. Whether you want to host a public screening (which would involve getting permission from the copyright holder and perhaps paying a license fee) or just invite over friends and family for a movie (no permissions required), you need to make sure that these valuable tools are used to the max. How to sweeten the deal to get non-vegans to show up? How about making it a non-dairy sundae party?!

National District Attorneys' Association

One sign that more serious attention is being paid to animal abuse is the creation of The National Center for Prosecution of Animal Abuse within the National District Attorneys’ Association. This new organization, which will partner with the ASPCA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, will “educate and train prosecutors and allied professionals on the effective handling of animal cruelty and neglect cases, including cases involving the co-occurrence of animal abuse and violence to people.”

The organization’s first webinar will be held on September 8. Hosted by the Center’s Executive Director, Allie Phillips, this free webinar will serve as an introduction to handling animal cases and a guide to some of the services and resources that the Center will provide for prosecutors and others in law enforcement, as well as animal control and humane investigators, veterinarians, shelter staff, and rescue organization volunteers.

The Center sounds like it could be an invaluable resource for prosecutors and others in law enforcement who need additional resources and guidance in handling animal law cases and who, perhaps, wish to expand the narrow scope of enforcement of these laws, which generally purport to prohibit “unnecessary suffering,” but clearly fall far short of that mark. If you are in such a position, be sure to tune in.  If not, perhaps you want to pass this information along to your favorite law and order folks.

George Mason University

Taught by Paul Gorski, an assistant professor at GMU, the course sounds like it was amazing. Guest speakers included Justin Goodman and Katie Arth of PETA, Anne Hogan and Matthew Prescott of the HSUS, and a team of students from GMU’s Animal Rights Collective. Movies, including The Cove, excerpts from Earthlings, and Meet Your Meat, were shown. And field trips were held to Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary and Taking Action for Animals conference.

In spite of the strong message that this content obviously carries, Gorski is careful to allow his students to come to their own conclusions by giving them the cognitive tools they need so that they start to question what they hear and see. “I don’t see my role as preparing activists,” says Gorski. “I just see [animal rights] as a conversation in society that people are really interested in.” And apparently it’s not a one-way conversation. In an interview with the Institute for Humane Education, Gorski revealed how much he had learned from his students: “I relearned that my students are desperate to be pushed, to get messy, to trade comfort for deeper learning. I relearned how honored I feel that they allow me along for the ride.”

One thing that we at Our Hen House love? The school magazine, “The Mason Spirit,” highlighted the course as one of the “Courses We Love.”

We were therefore so excited to hear that Madonna of the Mills, a documentary that uncovers the hideous abuse of dogs in puppy mills, has reached that milestone. The movie tells the story of an office manager from Staten Island, who, after finding out the truth about puppy mills, vowed to save as many of the breeding dogs as she could, ultimately rescuing over 2,000 dogs. Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, August 24, and continuing for a month, millions of HBO subscribers will have the opportunity to learn what happens to these dogs and, hopefully, will never again consider buying a puppy from a store.

If you have HBO, and haven’t seen the movie, now’s your chance. But, more importantly, spread the word to those who might not know as much as you do about puppy mills and try to get them to tune in. Maybe you can even invite them over to watch. Let them know this is not simply a horror show of hideous cruelty, but an uplifting tale of hope and joy as these canine survivors find new loving homes. This is truly a movie that has the potential to save lives.

In spite of the fact that this site is already great, the fact is is that the real work hasn’t even started. Commencing August 22, Dr. Greger will be updating the site every single day with a new short video, accompanied by a blog entry giving more in-depth information about the topic of the day and providing links to relevant studies.

Dr. Greger, who, in addition to running this site, is also the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States, believes in basing his health advocacy on science, and, fortunately, in spite of industry propaganda, there are plenty of peer-reviewed studies out there supporting the health benefits of plant-based living. We are just less likely to hear about them with the meat, dairy and egg industries eagerly touting their usually self-funded studies propping up their phony arguments. Dr. Greger promises that Nutrition Facts will be “a noncommercial, strictly science-based source for the latest in clinical nutrition.”

As we all know, the health argument for veganism is often the one people are most willing, or even eager to talk about. We owe it to ourselves, and to the animals, to be as proficient with our health facts as we possibly can be. I can’t think of a better way to stay on top of vegan nutrition than following this daily video update. For just a few minutes a day, you get accurate, science-based information on a topic you always wanted to know more about, or maybe on a topic that you didn’t even know was a concern. What a great resource this promises to be!

The course, which includes a course book, a downloadable curriculum, an online commons and telephone mentoring by the instructor, addresses such questions as

• What do I want to be able to say about my life and what I’ve done to create a better world?
• What am I responsible for?
• What are the impacts of my choices on myself, other people, other species and the environment?
• How can I help change destructive systems that perpetuate cruelty, violence and injustice?

Institute for Humane Education

All of us who look around and see suffering on the unimaginable scale created by factory farming can feel so hopeless, and helpless. What can we, as individuals, possibly do to affect the juggernaut of exploitation? How can we possibly have an effect? The only solution to the despair is to act, but the fact is is that sometimes we just don’t know what to do.  While Our Hen House is here to provide people with ideas that anyone can use to create change, you may have trouble trusting your own instincts about what is the right fit for you.

When we just can’t seem to focus on our particular path, courses such as this one can truly rescue us. Simply by helping us think clearly, forcing us to honestly evaluate our talents, our desires, our potential, and, yes, our limitations, these kinds of experiences can help us get started in finding our own particular way to take action.

If this is the kind of thing that appeals to you, there are several opportunities coming up to take advantage of it. Courses start on September 2, October 3, and November 4.

Charles Darwin

The symposium will take place on February 18, 2012 and will launch the Darwin festival, which takes place every year in Shrewsbury, Darwin’s birthplace. According to the organizers, “The aim of the symposium is to engage with emerging sensibilities and questioning about human nonhuman animal relations. Its objective is to offer complementary perspectives to Darwinian and other scientific perspectives on nonhuman animals.”

I particularly love the interweaving of scholarly and artistic explorations of our relationships with animals. Ah, to be in England…