Worcester Animal Rescue League is threatening to stop accepting dogs from Worcester if they pass new restrictive ordinances targeting Pit bulls. Being a Pit bull fan myself I consider this a very bold but necessary move by the Animal Rescue League. While  I recognize it will hurt stray dogs within the city, a boycott is the only tool the Animal Rescue League can use.

“The dedicated staff and supporters have worked too hard and advanced the organization too far in the quality of care given to its animals to suddenly reverse our no-kill, limited-intake policies,” Ms. Simone said in the release. “This ordinance would be asking us to take a giant step backwards, becoming once again a kill shelter. We wish to be very clear: The Worcester Animal Rescue League will have no part in euthanizing dogs or any other animal due to breed discrimination.”

There will be a public hearing for the ordinance at 6 p.m. Aug. 10 in the Esther Howland Chamber at City Hall.

Do you think this is a helpful or harmful move by the city and Animal Rescue League? Share your comments below.

Link

Also, don’t forget about our friends at To Hell and back Pit Bull Rescue

Tomorrow is going to be a sunny summer day, so come join VegWorcester in Elm Park for some free vegan ice cream.

This Saturday, June 19 at noon in Elm Park, VegWorcester is giving away free samples of So Delicious soy ice cream and Coconut Bliss ice cream in Elm Park.

Why are we giving out free vegan ice cream?

Here at VegWorcester, we like to focus on positive, up-beat outreach activities. Through our regular vegan feed-ins we show Worcesterites that choosing vegan foods is an easy way to challenge factory farming. In Worcester it’s so easy to find tasty vegan foods at any supermarket or at many local restaurants.

Cows’ milk is for cows

Milk is for babies. And cows’ milk is for calves, not humans. Not only is dairy associated with a long list of health issues, it’s far from humane. Earlier this year Mercy for Animals released an undercover investigations into an Ohio dairy farm, where they documented the kind of animal cruelty that is routine on factory farms. The video showed cows with bloody open wounds, prolapsed uteruses, pus-filled infections, and swollen joints, apparently left to suffer without veterinary care.

Just like in the meat industry, cows on dairy farms are forced to endure stressful conditions, a life of cruelty, and eventually a brutal death. The ties between meat and dairy are closer than you may think; When their exhausted bodies can no longer provide enough milk, they are sent to slaughter and ground up for hamburgers. For every cow who produces dairy for human consumption, dozens of her calves who are sold off to veal operations. It’s cruel, but more importantly there are plenty of alternatives.

Where to get So Delicious vegan ice cream in the Worcester area:

• Living Earth – 232 Chandler St, Worcester (map)
• All the Stop & Shops (store locator)
• All the Shaw’s (store locator)
• Nutrition Source – 245 W Boylston, West Boylston (map)
• Other locations in Mass.

Where to get Coconut Bliss:

• Living Earth – 232 Chandler St, Worcester (map)
• Framingham Whole Foods – 575 Worcester Rd, Framingham, MA (map)
• Artichoke Food Coop. Call ahead (508-752-3533), they aren’t very good at having things stocked reliably – 800 Main Street, Worcester (map)
• Other locations in Mass

Come out to Elm Park tomorrow at noon and grab some free vegan ice cream. If you want to help out and you can come out an hour early, call 315-834-2655. We could use a hand.

Upcoming demonstration
Coming up this Thursday, May 20, Mel is holding a demonstration against animal cruelty in the Piccadilly Circus in Fitchburg. Meet at 6pm at the Wallace Civic Center at 1000 Fitch Hwy in Fitchburg (map). Signs and leaflets will be provided. Facebook event.

Here’s a quick overview of the photos and video from the VegFest:

WCCA
Mauro from WCCA put together a quick video overview of the VegFest. It will be running this weekend. It’s great! Check it out!

508 Podcast
Erica Getto, a VegFest organizer, also appeared on the 508 podcast to talk about how the VegFest was a triumph.

What did you think of the VegFest?
Take this quick survey to tell us what we can do better next time around. It should only take a few minutes.

Yesterday a group of four VegWorcester volunteers spent a couple hours at Worcester State College giving out info about factory farming and encouraging students to come out to the Worcester VegFest. There are some photos on the VegWorcester flickr page.

Here’s a report-back from Manda:

Manda, Erica, Mike and Drew were at Worcester State College today getting the word out about the upcoming VegFest scheduled for April 17th in the WSC  Student Center! We put up 15 VegFest posters on campus bulletins and gave 30 posters to residence life to be posted in the dorms this week. Along with VegFest flyers, we handed out Vegan Outreach booklets about factory farming and compassion for animals. We passed out around 150 booklets and flyers to students during class changes and outside of the Student  Center before lunch time.

One student leaving class from the Science & Technology building told us she is not vegetarian but curious about it. She had already responded to the VegFest Facebook invite and would be attending along with a friend who is already vegan. We were happy to know that the word is getting out!  Another student simply walked the rest of the way to class with his head down, closely examining the Vegan Outreach booklet, surely impacted by the disturbing images of factory farming conditions. A few people who we gave flyers to said they weren’t vegetarian, but we assured them that VegFest is open to everyone as a great way to start learning more about how to help end cruelty to animals and of course to check out the variety of delicious veg food available locally!

We’re hoping that some of the Worcester State College students we met on campus today will come check out the amazing speakers, free food, fun and music on April 17th!

Hello, I am excited to share an informative site with you. It is a terrific local resource for vegetarians, vegans and people interested in learning more about either. The website has a blog on Worcesster vegan issues and events, there are lists of vegan restaurants, cafes, and stores where special vegan foods are available in Worcester. There is even a free vegetarian starter kit that can be ordered.

Something to look forward to is their Vegan Festival coming up on April 17, 2010. It will be from noon to 5pm in the student center at Worcester State College. Admission is FREE!!! There will be free food samples, speakers and live music.
I can honestly tell you that if I didnt have to work that day I would be there for sure!

http://vegworcester.com
http://vegworcester.com/festival

kr

Speaking of the library, there is a free screening Foul Play coming up. Join us on Sunday, March 21 at 3pm in the Saxe room to watch this insightful look behind-the-scenes of the egg-industry.

From the the film synopsis:

Fowl Play illuminates the plight of factory-farmed laying hens through interviews with people who are fighting diligently to save them. A story of hope emerges as footage recorded inside battery cage and other facilities is balanced with personal accounts of the individuals working to protect the often-forgotten victims of the egg industry.

The film also introduces us to animals who survive the system: Hope, a hen left to die in a garbage can but then rescued by activists; and Consuela, a hen gassed on a farm when she was no longer useful but who survives to be rescued at a landfill.

RSVP to the facebook event for the film screening.

Were you listening to 90.9 today?

On today’s edition of WBUR’s program Here and Now, Robin Young interviewed Melanie Joy, the author of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows.

Download the interview.

Earlier this year Joy released a video promo for the book. Her video points out the strangeness of an ideology that justifies eating some animals while being very critical of eating other animals. Why is it so offensive to suggest eating a golden retriever but not controversial to eat a pig? She says this stems from a dominant ideology that has yet to be named. She calls it “carnism”.

From MelanieJoy.org:

What is carnism?

Carnism is the name I’ve given to the belief system, or ideology, in which it’s considered ethical and appropriate to eat (certain) animals. Carnism is essentially the opposite of vegetarianism; while a vegetarian is a person who believes it’s unethical to eat animals and therefore eschews meat, a carnist is a person who believes it’s ethical to eat animals and therefore eats meat.

(Read more)

You could easily make the case that with all of the undercover investigations of factory farms that everyone must already know that raising animals for food involves significant animal cruelty. In the NPR segment, Melanie Joy says her book does not ask the question: What is the truth about meat production? Instead she asks, “what is the truth about the system that conditions us so deeply, that teaches us not to  feel,  that teaches us to turn away from very issue that requires that we bear witness in order to transform it?” (Quote from the radio program)

Download an mp3 of the radio program.

If you are interested in reading and discussing one of Melanie Joy’s books, you can join the Animal Liberation Theory & Action Discussion Group. We are reading her book, Strategic Action for Animals. We are meeting 6pm-8pm for the next 7 Thursdays, starting this week. Email drew@VegWorcester.com if you want to join.

Giving out vegan outreach flyers is an easy way to encourage people to consider vegetarianism and consider the animals who are systematically abused for meat, dairy, and eggs.

And it can make a big impact. A number of WPI kids read through the booklet right in front of us and asked good questions about factory farming and vegetarianism. Of course most people don’t read a single flyer and decide to immediately become vegan, but even in this 1 hour we heard from people who had been impacted by the images in the booklet and the info they read. One person said she would try going veg for a month. Another student said he would try being vegetarian for two days a week: Mondays and Thursdays (yes, he told us which days).

If you’re interested in learning more about leafleting and veg outreach, you’ll definitely need to come to the Worcester VegFest on Saturday, April 17 at Worcester State College. Jon Camp, director of outreach for Vegan Outreach will be there to talk about his organization and their strategy for challenging factory farming.

Want to help us leaflet next time?
Keep an eye on the VegWorcester blog. There will be definitely opportunities to join VegWorcester members handing out flyers at shows or on college campuses.

I posted some photos from the day’s outreach on the VegWorcester flickr page.

This Thursday, Feb 18 from 6pm-8pm, VegWorcester will hold the first meeting of the second annual Animal Liberation Theory & Action reading & discussion group. Last year, 8 people graduated the Animal Lib group after spending two months discussing animal rights, feminism, utilitarianism, veganism, direct action, and many other topics. This year we’ll look at different books, watch different films and even bring in an outside speaker.

Overview

The goal of this 8 week reading and discussion group is to develop a strong philosophical understanding of the animal rights movement. Animal rights is a topic that is particularly well-suited for a reading group because the movement is solidly grounded in philosophy and ethics. We’ll discuss why animals matters, speciesism, where animal rights and other social movement intersect, the legal standing of animals, the corporate and government response to effective organizing, we’ll talk about strategy, compare and contrast the diverse tactics used to advocate for animals and other topics.

Logistics

The group meets weekly from Thursday, Feb 18, 2010 until Thursday, Apr 15, 2010. We’ll read 3 or 4 books, watch 2 films, and host 1 speaker. Together these books, films, speaker, and our discussion will paint a picture of this diverse social movement and place animal rights in the context of the social justice and environmental movement. Each meeting will have a free vegan dinner and lots of good discussion.

To cover the cost of using the materials, we’ll ask for small donations for VegWorcester. But no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Meeting Structure

We meet every Thursday from 6pm-8pm. The first meeting will be held in the Academic Commons at Clark University (the open area under the library). At the first meeting we’ll have a overview of the animal rights movement and the literature that has made a big splash. As a group, we will choose which books to read and plan our group’s schedule.

At each of the remaining 7 meeting, we will have a somewhat structured discussion about the reading or film from the past week.

Book List

We will read either 3 or 4 books, likely from the following list:

The Foundation of the Movement

Works establish the philosophical foundation of the modern animal liberation movement.

• Animal Liberation
• The Case for Animal Rights

The State of the Movement

Writing that paint a good picture of where the animal rights movements stands today.

• Ethics Into Action
• Eating Animals
• Animals, Property and the Law

Tactics & Strategy

Books that discuss the tactics commonly employed by activists and the strategic value of those tactics.

• Free The Animals
• Terrorists or Freedom Fighters
• Strategic Action for Animals
• Bite Back Mag

Connection to Other Social Movements

Literature that connects animal liberation to other social movements.

• The Pornography of Meat
• Fast Food Nation

Downloads

• Workshop overview & schedule (pdf)
• Book list (pdf) with full descriptions. We will choose 3 or 4 books from this list.
• Printable flyer (pdf)

This is 2010, even a book has a trailer:

This book is a good follow-up to Eating Animals by Foer.