I Protest!

Since going vegan almost a year-and-a-half-ago (January 8th, 2010), I've become increasingly involved as an animal rights activists and general advocate for equality for all animals, human and non-human.  It's good to get out and stop wasting time arguing with idiots on the internet, although I think that these debates, if you can call them that, did their share in preparing me for real-life discussions.

My latest addition to my activist life has been protesting.  I've gone to two "Ban-Horse Carriages" protests.  I had never been to any protests before.  Something that I like about PAN's protests are even though they are singling one issue out, they use this single-issue as a gateway to deeper discussions on animal use.  The leaflets that we gave out detailed out thinking on this, and I was sure to wear my vegan shirt.

The protesting takes place in Old City, directly across from where the carriage horses and their drivers are waiting to take customers.

A few years ago, I wouldn't have seen anything wrong with horses pulling people around the city but now my thought process is this:

1.)  I wouldn't like to be doing what the horse has to do.  The weight that I can carry is not the weight that I want to be carrying.  And I wouldn't want to be carrying this in smoggy traffic where people are in a hurry to get to where they are going.

2.)  As many carriage drivers will tell you, many of the horses that they work with are rescues.  "These horses would be dog food if we didn't save them!" they'll inform you.  To me, there's the problem.  The horse can be dog food or they can live the life I described above.  How horrible is it that the lives we bring into existence we only see as valuable as in what ways they are useful to us.

3.)  Horses used for carriages also have to endure a stressful training process.  Horses have loud noises set off by their ears and are purposefully frightened in a variety of different ways, just to get them to not be as scared when it happens "on the job".

4.)  Some would argue that the horse has a good deal because he is fed and housed in exchange for his work.  I wrote a reaction to this here on my vegan blog.

5.)  I don't doubt that the carriage drivers, for the most part, treat their horses as best they can.  But how well can you treat a piece of property?  At the end of the day, the horse is seen and treated beneath his human "master" and there is no reason for that to stay unchanged.

6.) There's also things like this that happen:

Not A Day Off For the Animals

The day I'm writing about is April 20th, 2011.

As I got ready for the day, it crossed my mind that I was a little crazy to be spending one of my rare days off being so busy with vegan activism.  Then I considered two things.

1.)  I'm happiest when I'm doing vegan activism (among other things I love doing).
2.)  The animals never get a day off.

So I spent a large portion of the day putting these together.

They are envelopes on which I painted "You're invited to Veganism".  Inside there's a card that says, "What's with the invite?  VEGANISM is a celebration of all life.  Learn more-->" On the inside of the card I put a vegan "business" card.  Also inside the envelope I put a PAN handout which had all kinds of interesting information.  So I put about 45 of these together, threw together a new vegan shirt, and then I walked to the library with Wayne Pacelle was scheduled to talk about his new book The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them.  

I was volunteering at the library on this night.  My jobs were to make sure no one sat in the first two rows because those seats were reserved with people who were associates of Wayne and to handle the microphone during the Q & A session at the end of the talk.  Wayne talked a lot about very specific travesties happening to animals.  Things like dog fighting, seal clubbing, horse meat, etc.  I don't like any of these things but the thing is, all animal use is unnecessary and I don't like any of it.  I don't see a point in talking to people about these very limited topics.  No, actually, I do see a point.  I understand that if you have a large percent of the population agreeing with something that is very easy to agree with, chances are, you'll be able to get some money out of this large population.  So, I get it.  But the talk just aggravated me so much!  All those people there, clearly, deeply interested in animal rights, and no mention of veganism!  What the hell?!  If you gave people a chance, they could get it!  But no, you spend the last seven-minutes of a 45-minute lecture talking about Asian shark fin soup.

There were various questions.  One that sticks out to me is a woman who was very passionately asking about stray cats.

"...they're behind every school, in every alley, in every barn, in nearly every place in the world.  What is HSUS doing for them?"

Wayne talked about various problems but the answer was lackluster and it was clear that the woman was not satisfied with the answer. 

Originally, I had planned to ask a question kindly suggested by a friend of mine.  But Asian shark fin soup had me so irritated that I switched gears.  I'll never know for sure if I made the right decision but watching everyone shake their heads in disgust as Wayne described the shark killing process really made my blood boil. 

I was the last person to ask a question and I asked, "You mentioned Asian shark fin soup and I'm wondering, what is the difference between shark fin soup and any other non-vegan food.  It's all unnecessary and it's all cruel.  We don't need animal products to survive.  All the animals used for food are treated equally cruelly and it's all not needed, so what's the difference because between shark fin soup and anything else that's not vegan."

Wayne replied, "I think what you're saying is we can live healthy without animal products so why not be vegetarian --"

"Vegan." I said.

"Vegan." He repeated.  "Well, it is true that we don't need animal products to live but for me I separate what is more cruel and what is more wasteful and to me, cutting fins off of sharks and throwing them back in the ocean just that.  But I understand the point you're making."

That was nearly as good of an answer as I could have expected.   

After the talk, I walked up the lobby with everyone else.  As a volunteer, during the book signings my assignment is to help people get their books personalized.  That involves writing their names on a post-it note, sticking the post-it on the book jacket, and folding the jacket on the title page.  As I did this, I gave anyone who wanted one an envelope.  I was pleasantly surprised that some people were already vegan!  How lovely!

While all this was going on, there was a vegan cake also in the lobby.  This cake was made by Vegan Treats, a heaven-sent bakery whose tasty slices leave me daydreaming for more nearly every day.

The owner was standing by the cake which shaped like a dog with a well-wishing, edible sign.  The cake was free for anyone at the event or even hanging out at the library.  There were also other Vegan Treat employees and an Animal Planet camera crew working on a special about Vegan Treats!  How exciting!

Once I was finished with my post-it job and handing out my info, I started a conversation with one of the Vegan Treat workers.  I was given a piece of cake though soon I gave the piece to a library-goer who was curious about what was going on.  I gave him the cake with an enthusiastic explanation that this cake was vegan meaning it was made with no animal products.

"So there's no milk, eggs, butter, or any other animal products in this!"  I told him.  He was intrigued and once he took a bite he was thrilled!  I helped myself to another piece of course!

Then, I got in line to get my book signed.  While in line, I spoke with the woman who had voiced her concern about feral cats.  She told me that she was very upset about how little Wayne addressed the problem with cats.  I told her that Gary Francione works with feral cats in New Jersey.  She was hopeful and interested.  I gave her an envelope and encouraged her to check out the abolition website and she could contact Gary through the site or the connected forum.  This seemed to help her frustration.  I was surprised and happy to learn that she was vegan!

Once I got the the front of the line, I talked to Wayne as he signed my book.  He thanked me for my question and said that he could tell I was very passionate about animal rights.  This is how he signed my book.

And this is how I fixed it.

I also gave Wayne one of my envelopes. 

I left the building unsure if anyone's mind was completely changed but glad that I had come.  On my walk home I realized, had I not been there, the word "vegan" would never have been mentioned.  I was proud of myself.  "It's a sad state for animal rights," I thought, "but at least I was there."

Meems the Word

Previously, I mentioned that I wanted to quickly find my rabbit friends a permanent home so I could take in a cat.  Things worked out unpredictably well, at least for the moment.

This message was sent out to me and my animal-people friends:

I normally don't send these emails, but I'm in a bind.

I urgently need a foster or adoptive home for Meemers -- my one-eyed chubby black five-year-old former foster cat. She's spayed, UTD on vaccinations, and literbox trained.

Her new foster-to-adopt situation is not working out. I don't have the room to take her back -- because we are doing so many bird fosters right now -- and also because of my travel schedule. I don't want to pick her up from her current situation and just stick her in a crate -- it won't help her stress levels nor give her the skills she needs to be in a home. 

She's been acting out in her new home -- sounds like she's over stimulated and may need an experienced cat home to help her learn how to not be stressed and how to cope with change. I will pay for any treatment or supplement needed -- someone recommended rescue remedy. AND I will also happily pay for her food while she is in foster. She's still a Pennsylvania SPCA cat, so until she's adopted, vet care is free through them.

She's lived with other cats and got along great (that may actually help calm her down). I don't recommend children or dogs at this time unless it's really an experience cat home that could deal with any stress related to living with dogs.

I think this may be her SIXTH home that didn't work out so she really needs an understanding and loving situation. I'd adopt her myself if we didn't have cat-aggressive dogs and the birds. I love her silliness and sweetness and I'm not even a cat person AT ALL.

Can you help? Are you a super cat hero that can help give her some coping skills before her next home? Are you able to consider adoption?  Do you know a super cat hero who can help?

She reminds me of those poor little kids who grow up in the foster system -- being shuttled from home to home and never feeling comfortable. We are the most constant thing in her life and we've only been temporary fosterers between her getting rejected from one home and then the next....

So you can understand why I felt so compelled to help this cat.  Not long after recieving this message, one of my roommates found a cheap place in Center City (seems like an oxymoron, right?)  So this roommate moved out, and I moved into her rooms.

The way this space is laid out, there are two small rooms instead on one medium room.  I put the rabbit in the smaller room and the cat and I are in the bigger one.  Things are going well.  But enough about the space, let me tell you about the cat.

Meemers is soooo sweet and affectionate.  Her favorite thing to do in to perch on your shoulders and purr right in your ear.  She loves it!  From this position, she can also easily swat at any ponytails.  Meemers also loves sleeping with her person at night.  It's extremely sweet.  For the first week of her stay here, I couldn't move into the rooms yet so she had to sleep by herself (I didn't want her to eat the rabbits in my sleep).  She was heartbreakingly upset by this.  Once I moved, she slowly, but excitedly walked on the bed like, "Really?  I get to sleep with you tonight?!"  Once she got over her too-good-to-be-true-feeling, Meems (I call her that sometimes) started to purr and everything was right with the world.  She would occasionally lick my chin, which of course made me burst out laughing.  Since this time, Meemers has taken to sleeping in the dip of my waist with her head around my rib area and her butt on mine.  It's funny to say the least.  It's a bit weird to say a bit more.  I don't mind though.  

There are literally millions of animals who need foster or permanent homes.  Please check your local shelter to find these animals.  They are all as lovable as my friend Meemers and all of their lives literally depend on us to help them out of the situation we have put them in.    

It's hard to find a sturdy statistic on shelter animals killed each year.  From what I've read, 8 million cats and dogs are killed (who knows the number on small mammals and other pets) and this number is hopeful.  Realistically, the number is probably much higher.  

A New Wascally Habit

The vegan pledge I was volunteering with ended a few weeks ago but before its close, the president of the group and a good friend of mine asked if I was interested in fostering or adopting rabbits.  My friend helps a rescue group, Rat Chick Rescue.  This group rescues rats and other rodents from certain doom since these pets are even more likely to be killed at shelters then homeless cats and dogs.

Since becoming involved as a vegan activist, I have had a lot more contact with people who spend many of their free hours helping animals whose lives have been put on the line by human carelessness.  I've never been generous with my time in this way.  Although I know that veganism addresses the most fundamental problem with speciesism and animal rights, I still don't feel I am doing enough when I think of all the millions of animals who are waiting in shelters or being killed in shelters because their is not enough room for them.

Long story short (too late), I am now living with a pair of rabbits.  Their are delightful, funny animals to live with.  I call them Wayne and Garth.  I distinguish them by one of them (Wayne) having one black paw, though Garth has more of Wayne Campbell's personality traits, I didn't know them as well when I settled on names.  Garth is more outgoing, rambunctious, and easier to pet.  He also like to dominate poor little Wayne.  Wayne is more laid back and more curious about things.

Every night, I get home from work around 10:45 pm.  I come in the door of my apartment, walk up the stairs, and open my bedroom door where the bunnies are anxious for their nightly treat.  I always give them a fresh vegetable when I get home from work.  As a vegan, and as a vegan working at a grocery store, I spend a great deal of my time worrying about the suffering and death of animals.  When I ring up meat, particularly whole chickens and hens (I think because the whole corpse is there in the case of chickens and hens), I always feel deeply, deeply sad when I put the body in the bag.  I often think to myself, "I was too late for this one."  I feel as though I am putting a body in plastic grave.  I mentally say things like, "Bye chicken.  I'm sorry.  Poor chicken."  I think of the footage I've seen and the accounts I've read about slaughterhouses and "farms".  The customer has no idea how upset they've made me by this ordinary purchase.

So, to come home to two relatively happy animals gives me a kind of peace and happiness that is hard to describe but is beautiful to feel.

I am happy to be Wayne and Garth's foster guardian but I must find them a new home soon in order to help a certain deserving cat in need.