Recap: HSUS Taking Action for Animals Conference 2024

HSUS hosted the Taking Action for Animals Conference in Washington, D.C. on July 19 - 21st, 2024, bringing together leaders in the animal welfare, rights and law community for a weekend of learning and lobbying.

The hotel chef prepared incredible meals for the attendees, including vegetable wellington, apple crumble, ravioli and chocolate mousse cake. We thank HSUS for being one of our Policy Leaders, and pledging to only serve plant-based food at their events.

In addition to sharing Food For Thought’s initiatives and mission with attendees, we also had the opportunity to attend sessions regarding animal welfare law and how we can be effective advocates in our daily lives. This information was vital and eye-opening, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from such experienced leaders in the welfare community!

Recap: Best Friends Animal Society Conference 2024

Best Friends Animal Society hosted their annual conference in Orlando, Florida from July 11-13, 2024. Hundreds of attendees from the shelter, rescue and animal care community gathered to discuss, celebrate and learn about how we can all work towards a more humane future for animals.

Congratulations to Kelli, our raffle basket winner!

Eden, our West Coast and Central Coordinator, was inspired by the incredible conversations at our booth - there is a clear demand for plant-based event menu’s, and the food at this conference did not disappoint! Vegetable and quinoa salad, chocolate cake and rigatoni with plant-based meatballs were just a few of the highlight dishes.

Many attendees were engaged and excited by Food For Thought’s initiatives and mission - a few organizations even applied for a grant or policy on the spot! There was incredible reception to our mission, and it was a wonderful opportunity to reach a wide audience of engagement.

We would like to thank Best Friends Animal Society for inviting us to exhibit, as well as our many generous raffle basket donors including Dr. Bronner, Go Max Go foods, Dr. Melanie Joy, Vegan Club, Mad Hippie, Dandie’s Marshmallows and more!

RECAP: HSUS ANIMAL CARE EXPO 2024

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) hosted its annual Animal Care Expo in the vibrant city of San Antonio, TX, from May 15-17, 2024. This in-person event brought together over 2,500 dedicated attendees from various sectors, including animal shelters, spay and neuter clinics, and veterinary education programs. The conference was a hub of knowledge, compassion, and inspiring discussions about animal welfare.

Beth represented Food for Thought at the conference and had an amazing time chatting with lots of enthusiastic attendees. People were really interested in learning more about our mission. The response was fantastic, with many visitors to our booth agreeing on the importance of extending compassion to farmed animals. It's clear that there's a growing awareness and commitment to comprehensive animal welfare at shelters and rescues.

We had some great conversations with attendees, many of whom took brochures or signed up for more information. Quite a few people were excited about presenting our program and grant opportunities to their Boards, which could lead to some awesome collaborations in the future.

One of the highlights of the conference was the vegan catering, which received rave reviews from attendees. The variety and excitement of the vegan food options demonstrated how delicious and diverse vegan events can be, reinforcing our message that compassion can be both ethical and enjoyable. Our favorite has to be the vegetable and mushroom trees—how cool are they!

The 2024 Animal Care Expo in San Antonio was a significant milestone for Food for Thought. We are excited about future collaborations and the continued journey towards a more compassionate world for all animals. See you in 2025!

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF)

Congratulations to Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF) for hosting their first fully vegan event and adopting a vegan menu policy for public fundraisers and events and a vegetarian menu policy for staff and volunteer events!

AARF is a nonprofit, no-kill rescue serving cats and dogs in the Atlanta area. They work to save as many animals as they can through their cat adoption rooms at AARF Pet Central and foster homes.

We are so thrilled that AARF served vegan food at their AARFstravaganza event! The event was a “picnic style” concert to benefit their foster/adoption program, pet food pantry, and community outreach. Local musicians, such as Michelle Malone, performed, and there were raffles baskets and silent auction prizes.

Their vegan food menu included:

• Veggie Straws

• Lotus Biscoff Cookies

• Lenny and Larry’s Complete Cookies

• Rip Van Dark Chocolate Wafer Cookies

• That’s It Fruit Bars

• MadeGood Granola Bars

• Kibo Chickpea Chips

• Bada Bean Bada Boom Bean Snacks

The event was a success, and AARF met their fundraising goal! Guest commented on how much they loved the food, and several people said they were very grateful for the vegan options.

We are thankful for all that AARF does to help animals, and we are so happy they’ve made the compassionate decision to adopt a veg menu policy. Thank you, AARF!

Food for Thought Annual Retreat 2023

Last week, the Food for Thought team had our annual retreat! Three of our four team members traveled to Animal Place, a farmed animal sanctuary in Grass Valley, CA.

Since our team is remote, we were so excited to get to spend time with some of Animal Place’s nearly 300 rescued animals like cows, pigs, chickens, and goats. We got plenty of snuggles and provided many pets. We also got to spend time with some of our colleagues at Animal Place in person!

On Saturday, we tabled at Animal Care Faire in Sacramento, CA and had some great conversations about the importance of having a vegan menu policy for shelter events and fundraisers.

Additionally, the team spent some time coming up with an action plan for the Food for Thought program in 2024.

We had a wonderful time and can’t wait for the next retreat!

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Cat Haven

We are excited to announce our latest Vegan Event Grant Recipient, Cat Haven! It’s their mission to lead their community in Baton Rouge, LA in becoming a no-kill community for cats and kittens. They provide care, shelter, and adoption services, and advocate for routine spaying and neutering for population control.

We are so grateful that Cat Haven served vegan food at their donor appreciation event! The event allowed board members and staff to connect with donors in a more intimate setting, and donors were able to learn about Cat Haven’s needs and future goals.

Their vegan food menu included:

• Tabouleh

• Sweet Potato Stir-Fry

• Mediterranean Stir-Fry Nachos

• Curried Potatoes

• Poke Bowls

• Cupcakes

Guests had a wonderful time, and several people commented on how great the food was and how much they appreciated the presentation. The organization said the event was a success. We’re happy to hear that!

A huge thank you to Cat Haven for making the compassionate choice to serve vegan food at their event!

Recap: Vegan Convergence of the Peoples #14

On Sunday, August 6th, Animal Place’s Food for Thought Program Manager, Melissa White, spoke on a funders’ panel at Vegan Convergence of the Peoples #14. The panelists included Dawn Moncrief of A Well-Fed World and Leslie Barcus of VegFund.

Melissa spoke about Animal Place’s history, including the sweet story of Zelda the pig, as well as Food for Thought’s mission, progress, and outreach methods, and our available grants. She detailed the policy grant, a one-time gift of either $1,000 or $250 to organizations that have recently adopted a vegan or vegetarian menu policy for their events. She also discussed the vegan event grant, a reimbursement of up to $1,000 in food costs for an organization’s first fully vegan event.

There were 37 people in attendance. The attendees were very engaged and supportive of Food for Thought’s mission of encouraging and inspiring nonprofit organizations like animal shelters to extend their compassion to all animals by adopting a vegan or vegetarian menu policy. One attendee commented, “Our shelters are great, but we need to think about ALL animals!”

At the end of the panel, Melissa encouraged attendees to check out our shelter report card to see if their local animal shelter has a menu policy in place. If they found that they didn’t, she suggested that they send a polite email to ask that they adopt a vegan or vegetarian menu policy. Because the audience was mainly vegan activists, they loved this idea.

Could your organization benefit from one of our grants? Click here to find out if you’re eligible.

Recap: HSUS Animal Care Expo 2023

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!

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Carol House Quick Fix Pet Clinic

We are excited to announce another Vegan Event Grant Recipient, Carol House Quick Fix Pet Clinic! Their organization offers low-cost spay/neuter in Saint Louis, MO. Over 20,000 adoptable pets are euthanized annually in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. They establish programs and policies to decrease the number of unwanted dogs and cats euthanized each year.

We are honored that Carol House Quick Fix Pet Clinic served vegan food at their 10 Year Celebration event! They celebrated 100,000 spays and neuters which is incredible!

Their vegan food menu included:

• Party Ryes

• Impossible Sliders

• Pretzel Bites with Vegan Cheese

• Vegan Chick’n Wangs

• Vanilla Cake

• Ice Cream: Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Chip, Raspberry Sorbet, Lemon Poppy Seed

Guests enjoyed themselves and thought the food was delicious. The organization reported no difference in event success based on menu choices when compared to previous events. We love to hear that!

Thank you for serving vegan food at your event and congratulations on 100,000 spays and neuters!

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society

We are happy to award our Vegan Event Grant to Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society! Located in New Jersey, their organization provides a safe and peaceful haven for homeless, abandoned, or abused animals. They are dedicated to decreasing the number of cats and dogs euthanized in kill shelters. They offer adoption, trap-neuter-return, and education programs.

Karma Cat + Zen Dog hosted their annual event, Paws for Celebration, for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. The event comprised of a buffet dinner, dancing, and a silent auction. Historically, this event has been vegetarian. This is the first time they are serving fully vegan food!

Their vegan food menu included:

• Baked Vegetable Lasagna

• Eggplant Rollatini

• Cavatelli & Broccoli w/ Aioli Sauce

• Green Salad

• Roasted Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables

• Spring Rolls

• Cakes & Brownies from Cats Luck

Guests enjoyed the food and raved about the desserts both at and after the event!

Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society visions a world where every companion animal is respected, fed, warm, happy, and not in danger of being killed because of being temporarily homeless. We are excited their organization extended its compassion to farmed animals. Congratulations on adopting a vegan menu policy!

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Friends of Oakland Animal Services

We're excited to announce another vegan event grant recipient, Friends of Oakland Animal Services! This wonderful organization partners with Oakland Animal Services to take in over 5,000 homeless animals each year and provide critical services such as veterinary care. While they've had smaller events with vegan options, their first fully vegan event, Raise the Woof!, was so successful that it sold out!

Their guests loved the food! Here was their mouth-watering vegan menu:

• Broccoli, potato, and cheddar tofu quiche

• Smoked Gouda, bacon, and spinach turnovers

• Soy chicken salad spinach wraps

• Blue cheese almond stuffed baby portobello mushrooms

• Almond Ricotta stuffed shiitake mushrooms topped with tomato and basil-walnut pesto

• Tomato-basil bruschetta

• Olive tapenade with Miyoko's cheese

• Artichoke dip

• Caesar Salad kabob

They also completely ran out of dessert which were catered by Timeless Cafe! We're happy to hear that there was a wide variety of plant-based options for everyone to enjoy!

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center

Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center recently held their first vegan event called Tito's & Tails!

This fundraiser benefited homeless cats and dogs in their community and we're happy to say that serving vegan food surpassed their expectations. Their cater, Kick Ass Vegan, provided delicious vegan food including pineapple shrimp bowls, ceviche, mac and cheese, jackfruit taquitos, stuffed mushrooms, chips and guacamole, and cookies. All of their guests raved about it! We're excited to see yet another successful vegan event!

In Memory of Simpsons' Creator, Sam Simon

SAM SIMON
PHILANTHROPIST, SHELTER DIRECTOR, VEGAN
1955 - 2015

It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Sam Simon, the critically acclaimed television writer, producer and director of Taxi, Cheers, The Tracey Ullman Show, The Drew Carey Show & The Simpsons, which he co-created. Simon was an animal lover through and through and a dedicated philanthropist, allotting his $100 million dollar fortune to charity. Since 2002, Sam funded the Sam Simon Foundation, an organization dedicated to rescuing and retraining stray dogs who would otherwise be euthanized. 

His dog shelter has been described as "the grandest... in the country," a 5-star, 6-acre campus in Malibu, California. The Foundation gives stray and abandoned dogs a new lease on life. As Simon explains, the foundation aims to "rescue dogs" and "train them to be service dogs, [to help] people with disabilities," primarily the deaf. It also provides a free mobile spay and neutering service for low-income guardians, free operations for ill canines, and trains pups to help soldiers returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan deal with PTSD.  

The Sam Simon Foundation Spay & Neuter Mobile Clinic.

In 2011 Simon established and self-funded the Sam Simon Foundation Feeding Families program, a vegan food bank which provides food for people and animals in need; the program helps feed some 200 families per day.

Sam passed away earlier this month after a two-year battle with cancer. His foundation will continue to help both people and animals and continue his legacy of compassion by operating on a plant-based policy. You are missed, Sam!

Thank you for giving us so much food for thought. We hope your work will inspire other shelters to consider going veggie too!

Veganism is an answer for almost every problem facing the world in terms of hunger and climate change.

- Sam Simon