Getting ACTIVE for animals

We're all familiar with the saying that "Every dark cloud has a silver ling." Without a doubt there are few issues more troubling in our world than the horrific treatment of non-human animals on farms, laboratories, puppy mills, fur farms and elsewhere. But to this dark cloud of cruelty and suffering there is indeed a type of silver lining: because the problem is so massive and affects so many animals, each of us has the ability to do a huge amount of good in our lifetimes, saving hundreds of lives and reducing a great deal of suffering. It's because of this potential to do so much good that many of us at the Humane League choose to focus on animal protection issues as opposed to other social justice issues (issues that are important, but on which we feel we'd be able to make less of an impact).

All of us who care about animals want to make a change, but as advocates we face the temptation of spending all our time reading about cruelties done to animals, reflecting on how we wish things could be better or what we wish would happen in society, and commiserating with like-minded people over tasty veg meals while forgetting that the most important thing is that we take ACTION for animals. If we are thinking and reading about the suffering of animals, even talking about it in person or online, but not taking action for animals, then really all that we are doing is entertaining ourselves with intellectual and social stimulation while animals continue to suffer.

While there will always be discussion and debate about the best path to a future world where animals are not exploited for human gain, all of us know that there are several things that need to happen. The public needs to learn about the cruelties occurring in slaughterhouses and factory farms, in laboratories and elsewhere, and to be persuaded that the suffering of animals matters. The public needs to learn how they can live their life enjoyably without supporting these cruelties. Corporations, businesses and institutions need to be pressed to reduce or end the suffering they're causing to animals. Laws need to be passed to step-by-step provide greater protection for animals.

While we might not be able to get laws passed on our own, each of us can do a great deal of good in our own lives to educate the public and to press for change at the businesses and institutions that surround us. The most important thing is that we get ACTIVE - today, tomorrow, this weekend, and next month - doing activities that make a quantifiable difference in the lives of animals.

Joining the Humane League for a veg outreach session to pass out booklets to the public is one such way, and we regularly receive feedback of people going veg (and therefore lives saved) as a result of getting a booklet from us. Leafleting on your own or leaving stacks of information at sympathetic businesses, coffee shops, or libraries is another way. Sponsoring a veg starter kit stand in your neighborhood is a great way to reach many people. Slipping leaflets on factory farming into any envelopes you're sending out (say, if you're paying the bills) or leaving one with the toll booth attendant is a way. Holding a house party for non-veg friends to watch an animal protection film and share veg starter kits and recipe guides is a way. Joining the Humane League in its No Battery Cage campaign by getting letters signed or coming to an outreach event is a way, as is joining other groups like COK or HSUS that are successfully working to achieve change at the institutional and corporate levels. Donating to fund pro-veg advertising is a great way to create change and save lives if free time is something you just don't have. Passing out leaflets on fur farming by a fur store on a busy city street is a way to potentially spare dozens of lives with a few hours of work.

Over the past week, in the bitter cold, a few HLP volunteers distributed veg outreach booklets at a concert, several colleges, and in center city Philadelphia, reaching over 1,000 people with the realities of factory farming. Please join us this coming weekend on South Street to help us reach another 1,000 people. Please volunteer to host a Humane League house party to educate friends and co-workers and raise money to save farmed animals. Please get ACTIVE to help animals, in any and all ways you can, because our sympathy alone does nothing to help - something all of us have to remind ourselves daily, so that our focus remains steadily on "what's the next thing I can do that will directly help animals," and so that animals may reap the benefits of our compassion.

And remember, we're always here to help you get active for animals by providing literature, guidance, or feedback - info@thehumaneleague.com

Goat and Sheep Rescued! And other updates

It's been a busy past week at The Humane League, and we're excited to kick-start the year with some animal rescues and the continued work of our veg outreach campaigns!

"Nathan" and "Runkle" - a sheep and goat seized in a cruelty case here in Philadelphia - were rescued by the Humane League a few days ago and brought out to our great friend Dr. Rob Teti of Chenoa Manor animal sanctuary in Avondale, PA (near West Chester). Here these animals will be free to run the fields and enjoy life with other rescued sheep, goats, and lots of other farmed animals. (See their picture at the end of the post, pre-rescue).

Last week The Humane League also presented our humane education program to ten different classes at a South Philadelphia grade school over the course of two days as part of their "Kindness to Animals" week. The students learned about the cruelties inflicted on pigs, cows and chickens on factory farms, and did an art project that helped them put themselves in the shoes of those animals.

As is always the case, the reaction of the students to hearing about how animals are actually treated on farms was one of anger and a sense of injustice. Today is the celebration of the birth of Martin Luther King, an icon today but a man who was reviled by many in his era who were threatened by the idea that a difference in skin tone or ethnic background does make a person any better than or worse than another person. (He was even declared by the deputy director of the FBI as "the most dangerous threat to national security" at that time). King's descendants, including his widow Coretta Scott King and son Dexter, have in recent years both advocated for veganism/vegetarianism as an important step towards creating a just and equitable world for all who dwell in it. We can only hope that with the continued work and advocacy of every single one of us, 45 years from now the idea of animal rights will be looked upon with a similar acceptance to what is now granted to the idea of civil rights.

If we are to reach such a future in 45 years, or even 100 years, we all have to keep active and keep educating and creating social change on animal protection issues.

On that note, our veg outreach programs have started up again in 2009, with 2,700 veg starter kits distributed in our veg newsstand boxes since January 1. Our veg leafleting is off to a slow start as we've focused on some institutional matters like end of year finances, redesigning our website, and hiring our first employee - and as we try to wait out this bitter cold and wait for colleges to be back in session - but we'll have a packed schedule of college and concert leafleting all spring. We're also in the process of tripling our online veg outreach programs (done via MySpace) and - well, there's a lot more to come, but we'll save that for later!

Welcome!

Welcome to the new Humane League of Philadelphia blog! We'll have a real post up later this week with some updates on new animal rescues, outreach events, and more, but for now - welcome! In the coming months we hope that you'll find this blog of interest for hearing and seeing more about what The Humane League of Philadelphia is doing, as well as reading commentary from myself and others at the Humane League about current animal issues and animal advocacy work.

If you here then you've probably visited our newly redesigned website, www.TheHumaneLeague.com . I hope you'll take some time to explore the site, we've got a lot of great resources up there (like our guide to veg eating at fast food restaurants around the country, to name one example), our 2008 Annual Report has been posted, and there are some videos that you might be interested in checking out as well.

For the Animals,
Nick