Where do animal people go to connect with each other, eat incredible vegan food, play with puppies, and learn more about animal care and advocacy resources? This year it was New Orleans for the annual HSUS Animal Care Expo.
In a crowd of nearly 3,000 animal shelter staff and advocates from across the country, the Food for Thought team was proud to represent farmed animals! The event was buzzing with joy… and not just because we were in the “Big Easy” with puppies. Being around so many people passionate about animals was invigorating.
Pictured Above: Tami Andrew (East Coast, left) & Hailey Myers (West Coast, right)
I met East Coast Coordinator Tami in person for the first time since joining the team as West Coast Coordinator last year. We had a ball chatting about farmed animal welfare and the Food for Thought mission in person with shelter staff and animal advocates.
Our conversations with HSUS attendees were overwhelmingly positive. People agreed enthusiastically that if we are working to save cat and dog lives we should also work to save cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals. It was so encouraging to speak with so many people who saw the connection between loving animal companions and loving farmed animals. I was surprised how many people came to speak with us because they already supported Animal Place or remembered having conversations with other Food for Thought representatives.
Some people who remembered us from past events and outreach came to give us updates. One attendee told us about her organization’s progress in removing animal products from their menus. Another attendee told us she is pulling her donations from an organization that hasn’t made the change yet. We met someone who has done fundraisers for Animal Place before. She dreams of buying a property to help us foster animals. She runs Rocket Dog Rescue and wants to visit our sanctuary with her volunteers. Rocket Dog Rescue has been a Food for Thought Policy Leader since 2016! We met another attendee who has adopted chickens from Animal Place (pictured below). A handful of people came by to pass on a “hi” to Kim because they remember her starting the program.
The catering at the conference was exceptional. I’m sure it inspired many event-planning professionals! Taco bars, Mediterranean mezze platters, and Italian spreads are always delightful and easily veganized. I’m still daydreaming about the Thai noodles, tofu and veggie summer rolls, and seaweed salad. The desserts were all so good, but we really loved the baklava and the ube sorbet. HSUS has been a vegan policy leader for years and their events are proof of how exciting and delicious vegan catering can be.
Tami hosted a round table discussion. Most people agreed that organizations raising money to save animals shouldn’t support the slaughter or harm of other animals. The attendees described their strategies for broaching the topic with donors. Someone pointed out that supporters attend events because they care about the mission. They aren’t attending animal shelter fundraisers primarily for the food… so serving delectable vegan food that aligns with their mission of saving lives just makes sense!
Many attendees came to our table because they saw the cute plushie goat, pig, and chicken. We had so many lively discussions about how smart and sweet pigs, cows, chickens, and other farmed animals are and how they deserve the same love that cats and dogs do. Many people took either a brochure or signed up for more information. They expressed enthusiasm to discuss the program with their Boards. We left the event feeling very inspired by all the love for animals and excited for HSUS 2024!