Rats on the Cover of Wall Street Journal - and Here in Philly with Rat Chick Rescue

On May 16, the Wall Street Journal had a great article on page one about people who love rats: "Their Calling Is Defending Rats, Yet These Folks Aren't Lawyers." The animal rights world went nuts over this article! Did you know that here in Philly we have our own group of rat lovers and protectors?

Rat Chick Rat Rescue and Advocacy Group is an all volunteer organization based in Philadelphia. They operate a virtual shelter model where the rats are maintained in foster homes by our members and rat loving friends, and work in cooperation with other shelters, groups and individuals to help find a home for any homeless rat.

The Rat Chicks also work within the community to educate people about these loving animals in an effort to dispel the years of negative image placed upon them.

To visit the Rat Chick Rescue online click here:
Read all about the good deeds of Rat Chick!

To see all of Rat Chick's adoptable pets click here:
Rat Chick Petfinder - Give a loving rat a home.

To become MySpace friends with Rat Chick click here:
Rat Chick MySpace - be a friend.

To Email the Rat Chick click here:
Email the Rat Chick.

Also look around most HLP events for people with rats crawling all around them - they will surely be the Rat Chick Rescue and Advocacy Group!

Please Support Upcoming Bill that Would Ban Live Pigeon Shoots

Pennsylvania is the only state known to legally host multiple pigeon shoots, most of them at private rod and gun clubs. Pigeons are captured and smuggled in to PA, often packed tightly into cages without food for several days. On the day of the shoot, they are mechanically launched into the air and shot at. They don't always die; so participants - sometimes kids join in this part - go around and stomp on them or rip their heads off. This is a game apparently. People bet on who can shoot the most pigeons.

Legislation is being voted on next month in Pennsylvania to ban the killing of animals launched for trap shoots or tied in place for block shoots. You can help by asking your representative to support this bill!

Send a letter from the HSUS Take Action site: https://community.hsus.org/campaign/PA_2009_caged_animal_shoots2

Celebrate National Vegetarian Week with Us!

Happy National Vegetarian Week!

Looking for a way to celebrate around Philly this week? Join the Humane League at the Bubble House on Penn's campus for dinner Friday, May 22, at 6 p.m. This restaurant recently redid their menu at our suggestion to include more visible vegan and vegetarian options and we are having this dinner to thank them - so please come out and let them know that vegans appreciate them!

Email info@thehumaneleague.com to let us know you'll be joining us!

Win Free Vegan Cookie Sampler

Hurry up! You only have until tomorrow to enter to win a free vegan cookie sampler over at One Frugal Foodie!

Recommended Read: New Animal Activist Handbook from Vegan Outreach Founder and PETA VP

Two outstanding men in the animal activist world - Matt Ball, co-founder and director of Vegan Outreach and Bruce Friedrich, a vice president of PETA - have poured all of their tips, suggestions, and knowledge into one easy-to-understand new book: The Animal Activist's Handbook: Maximizing Our Positive Impact in Today's World.

This guide goes beyond the basic "how-tos" for animal activism and delves into all aspects of speaking out for your cause. From picking a worthy and meaningful topic and action to effectively playing out all the steps, this book has it all. There are also lots of extras to be found within the pages, including a foreword by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, an index of recommended resources, a look at the controversial concept of "humane" meat, and theoretical discussions on ethics and animal liberation.

The Handbook was released in the beginning of April by Lantern Books, a publishing company worth checking out if you like books about animals, veganism, health, spirituality, and other socially conscious topics.

Philadelphia Spring Festival for the Animals This Weekend!

It seems like it has been a long time spent planning, advertising, and getting ready for our big spring fund-raiser, the Philly Walk for Animals - but the big day is finally here!

Tomorrow, May 2, at noon we will be gathering in Rittenhouse Square to walk 2.5 miles to raise money for the animals ... and over 250 people have registered to join us! Following the walk, at around 1 p.m., we will be teaming up with PAWS for a fun-filled Festival for the Animals!

Hope to see you there!

P.S. Donations are still accepted and welcome (and dare I say even encouraged?) after the event! You can always make a safe and secure donation online at www.thehumaneleague.com/donate, where you can also find all the necessary info for mailing in a donation.