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!

Policy Grant Recipient: Animal Village NM

We're excited to announce a new policy grant recipient: AnimalVillageNM! This New Mexico based no-kill shelter works to reduce the number of dogs and cats who were abandoned for euthanasia at municipal shelters. AnimalVillageNM is not only dedicated to rescuing animals, but focused on giving their adopters the tools to create a loving, forever home. This includes ensuring cats are adopted to homes where they will be indoors and not declawed, providing educational support, and offering K9 training classes. AnimalVillageNM puts animals needs and safety as top priority.

AnimalVillageNM's mission is to help New Mexico become a state of love, compassion, and respect for all animals―creating a world where animals and humans live in harmony. They will continue to stand by these values when serving vegan for all their events, fundraisers, and activities.

​Congratulations on adopting a vegan menu policy!

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Fearless Kitty Rescue

We're pleased to announce yet another vegan grant recipient, Fearless Kitty Rescue! This no-kill cat rescue in Arizona used our grant to serve vegan food for one of their largest fundraisers of the year, Wet Your Whiskers.

The fundraiser proved to be a huge success! At the event, attendees bid on a silent auction while enjoying wine and vegan appetizers. The food was provided by a favorite local plant-based restaurant, Green New American Vegetarian. Some of their appetizers included vegan BBQ 'chicken' skewers, peanut tofu skewers, artichoke burritos, samosas, and 'turkey' club wraps. A majority of the attendees had never tried vegan food before and were extremely impressed with their first experience.  

Since the organization aligns with the idea that serving animals to save animals is wrong, Fearless Kitty Rescue has chosen to be meat-free for all their future events! Thank you for extending your compassion to farmed animals and congratulations on adopting a formal vegetarian menu policy! 

Recap: HSUS Animal Care Expo, April 2019

Our latest conference adventure features Northeast Regional Coordinator, Deva Holub, and Wildlife & Environmental Coordinator, Barbara Troyer at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Animal Care Expo in New Orleans! These two enthusiastically tackled a jam-packed week of exhibiting, round-tabling, speaking, and demoing at HSUS's largest expo yet—with an estimated attendance of 2800 people from around the world in the animal welfare field.

Barb and Deva had fruitful conversations (no pun intended) with hundreds of shelter staff, volunteers, and board members eager to learn more about adopting veg menus for their events. They spread the word about Food for Thought's exciting event and policy grants while exhibiting and during a special "round-table" breakfast session on budget-friendly plant-based fundraising events. Deva and Barb were pleased to note more conference attendees than ever mentioning that they had vegan coworkers, board members, or volunteers and that they were already thinking of and/or planning a plant-based event for their organization.
 
The week culminated for our intrepid coordinators in a special bonus session called Adopt an animal-friendly food policy to save more lives. During this session, Deva gave an impactful and interactive presentation about the why's behind adopting an animal-friendly menu policy. Panelist Josephine (Josie) Morris, Food and Nutrition Specialist of Forward Food presented some eye-opening statistics on animals raised for food in the United States as well as highlighting the work Forward Food is doing with food service professionals and other industries. Stephanie Shain, Chief Operating Officer of Humane Rescue Alliance. rounded out the panel with an inspirational real-world overview of the process of adopting a board-approved vegan menu policy. Barb and Josie each demoed a recipe, as well! Find Barb's Smoky Okie Vegan Jambalaya recipe here.

The entire Food for Thought team was excited for the opportunity to present at Expo and we look forward to next year's conference in San Antonio, Texas! Of note: HSUS itself has implemented a vegan menu policy, and as a result, provided delicious and eye-pleasing vegan buffets throughout the conference. And for meals that were not included, they offered a guide in the app to many veg-forward or entirely plant-based eating establishments throughout the New Orleans area. Deva and Barb may have found a few of these while exploring the Big Easy in their spare time!

Recap: RescueCon

​Last weekend West Coast Coordinator, Allie Gunter, traveled to Oxnard, California to attend the first-ever RescueCon. This very vegan-friendly event featured a variety of activities, vendors, and speakers (including one of Food for Thought’s very own endorsers, The Kitten Lady!). There was bunny yoga, a cat cafe, adoptable companion animals, rescued mini horses, and even a dog running for president!

To further top off an already amazing weekend showcasing the special connection between humans and nonhuman animals, all of the food at RescueCon was 100% plant-based! From the food trucks (which offered pizza and burgers and cupcakes - oh my!) to the nightly Yappy Hour, the bites were a hit!

​Both evenings at Yappy Hour served as another opportunity for Food for Thought to share our work with all of the attendees while they enjoyed delicious, vegan cheese generously donated by Miyoko's. (Thank you, Miyoko's!) This relaxed wine and cheese event served as a perfect example of just how easy it can be to put on a completely plant-based event for your own organization's next fundraiser.

Conventions and conferences are always a great opportunity to not only share the mission of the Food for Thought campaign with the public but to also connect and network with other organizations and potential Advocates. Allie was able to speak with many different nonprofits and Southern California locals about the need for animal, wildlife, and environmental organizations to adopt animal- and earth-friendly menu policies for their events. It is always motivating to see it "click" in people’s minds that serving some animals as food in order to raise money to save other animals really doesn’t make any sense at all.

If you are involved with a nonprofit that you would like to see adopt a formal menu policy, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We offer a variety of free resources, including grant opportunities, to help make the transition as simple as possible!

Recap: APHE National Conference

Earlier this month, two of our Food for Thought staff members traveled to Phoenix to attend the Association of Professional Humane Educators 2019 National Conference at the Arizona Humane Society. Liz Walch, Great Lakes and Canada Coordinator, and Allie Gunter, West Coast Coordinator, had the opportunity to learn about the future of the humane education field, as well as meet professionals from across North America and discuss with them why their respective organizations should adopt animal- and earth-friendly menu policies. Liz and Allie attended workshops with topics focused on the welfare of companion animals, farmed animals, and the planet too.

Liz also spoke on behalf of Food for Thought. Her presentation, Modeling Your Message: Increasing Your Organization’s Impact, discussed one simple change nonprofits can make to expand the scope of their impact for animals and the environment: adopting a veg-only menu policy for sponsored events and fundraisers. (You can catch a recording of it here on our Facebook page.) She heard great feedback from some of the attendees who said they were ready to go back to their organizations and make some changes! Having the opportunity to speak was wonderful, and it was a privilege to talk with such caring people about making positive changes for animals and our food systems.
​
APHE put on a spectacular event filled with knowledgeable speakers, fun networking opportunities, and delicious and nutritious plant-based meals. We are so grateful to be able to send our staff to conferences to not only spread the word about Food for Thought but to also learn more about the future of animal welfare. Seeing firsthand how many compassionate people are out there fighting for animals and the earth always fills us with hope and motivation!

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Animal Aid

Portland, Oregon based Animal Aid recently hosted their annual Whiskers, Wine & Whisky gala, and this year thanks to a Food for Thought event grant, it was an all-vegan affair! Animal Aid is a nonprofit, no-kill animal rescue and welfare organization that helps companion animals in need; actively promotes spay and neuter programs to reduce overpopulation; and educates the public by promoting respect for all animals, the ethic of compassion, and the need to be kind and responsible stewards.

On the savory vegan menu: Entrées—Eggplant osso buco and za’tar spiced kebabs. Sides and hors-d'oeuvres—Root vegetable salad, house-made salad rolls with sweet chili dipping sauce, and vegetable crudité. The meal was topped off with a delicious cranberry pear crisp for dessert.

According to Director of Operations, Paige España, the event was a resounding success, doubling its fundraising goal from the prior year, and eliciting lots of positive feedback. “We're… learning how to pick vegan dishes that have a wide appeal so that those people on the fence can have a good (perhaps surprisingly good) experience and hopefully be more open to incorporating more vegan foods in their diet and more willing to consider a vegan lifestyle overall,” said España when reflecting on the event. She also mentioned that for their next event, they would look for a heartier second entrée option (in addition to the eggplant dish). This is a great tip for event planners working with caterers, as guests expect plant-based entrées to be just as delectable and filling as more traditional options.

Congratulations, Animal Aid, on a successful event showcasing compassion to all animals!

Food for Thought How to: "Why Vegan?" Resource

At Food for Thought, we’re here to help. We’re here to help all species, our planet, and each other. Our campaign encourages animal, environmental, and wildlife nonprofit organizations to adopt animal- and earth-friendly menu policies. By doing so, these organizations’ actions and ethics better align, and their impacts are further amplified.

Food for Thought wants to bridge common gaps in thinking. In order to make the transition to veg-only events as simple as possible, we have a variety of resources to offer. From sample letters to grant opportunities to testimonials and beyond, Food for Thought wants to make it easier for your board to approve a formal policy. One of our most popular resources is our Why Vegan? series. We offer Why Vegan for Farmed Animals, Why Vegan for the Planet, and Why Vegan for Wildlife, all of which dive deeper into the reasons why respective groups will benefit from going plant-based. 

• In Why Vegan for Farmed Animals, we focus on how all nonhuman animals deserve the same amount of respect and compassion—whether they be a kitten or a piglet. Just like the animals we share our homes with, farmed animals are sentient beings who have the innate desire to live. After all, it doesn’t make any sense to host an event to raise money to save animals’ lives while serving other species for the meal.

• Why Vegan for the Planet emphasizes the realities of animal agriculture and its effects on the health of our earth. The two are directly linked due to the fact that the production of meat is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a top contributor for loss of biodiversity, species extinction, and pollution. One of the best ways to become true leaders in the sustainability movement is to forgo all animal products.

• Why Vegan for Wildlife discusses the need to help all nonhuman animals, especially since more than 98% of animals that die at the hands of humans are actually farmed animals; therefore, wildlife nonprofits should consider extending their impact to include helping these species. Animal agriculture is also one of the leading threats to wildlife habitat loss, as well as waterway contamination, ecosystems disruptions, and deforestation. In order to further their own conservation efforts, wildlife groups would benefit from no longer supporting the very businesses that are hurting the lands and species they are trying to save.

At Food for Thought, our aim is to help all of these groups realize we have a responsibility to every living creature and to the health of our planet. Whichever cause is closest to your heart, please consider sharing the appropriate Why Vegan? resource with those stakeholders. One change can make a world of difference in all three areas.

Expand your compassion to your org’s own plate by adopting a plant-based menu policy. Let Food for Thought help you get started today! Contact us to get your organization on track to having its values and actions match up.​

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Our Companions Animal Rescue

Last month, Our Companions Animal Rescue hosted their annual birthday party fundraiser, celebrating six years since they opened their sanctuary in Ashford, CT. Our Companions Animal Rescue (OCAR) is home to cats and dogs with medical and/or behavioral challenges where they are provided the time, guidance, and care until they find their forever homes. OCAR also provides a number of programs for their community including dog and cat behavioral services, training classes, support services for feral cats, veterinary assistance, and public education.

OCAR has been a long-time supporter of the Food for Thought campaign, adopting their formal vegetarian menu policy in 2015, but this event marks the first time all food provided was plant-based. Local caterer Not Only Juice provided attendees with a dazzlingly delicious  spread of arugula beet salad, potato salad, chickpea salad, quinoa salad, caponata wraps, "bacon" and sweet potato sandwiches, "chicken" salad wraps, and vegan cupcakes adorned with pictures of sanctuary residents. How cute! 

Volunteers, donors, and guests were invited to tour the sanctuary and meet the animals. According to OCAR Executive Director, Susan Linker, “While our Sanctuary is lovely and a great place to visit I have to say that the food made the event. All the guests felt so special to have such a delicious and ethical spread provided for them and people raved about the food.”

We applaud OCAR for their steadfast commitment to compassion for all animals and we wish them all the best as they continue their life-saving work. Thank you for being humane leaders for your community!

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Nevada County Pets In Need

Nevada County Pets in Need (NCPIN), a 100% volunteer staffed organization that collects food and supplies for the companion animals of those in need, recently held a beautiful gratitude event for 80 of their donors. It was also their first ever all vegan event! The fully plant-based reception was a hit from start to finish.

The catered dinner was purchased with a grant provided by the Food for Thought program. Thanks to the talents of Emily’s Catering & Cakes, attendees enjoyed an array of tasty bites including tofu lettuce cups, crostini with fig and butternut squash, endive with curried tofu, stuffed mushrooms, polenta with chili, seasonal fresh fruit, and cobbler. (It all sounds absolutely delicious!) The best part of it all? Zero animals were harmed in the creation of the meal!

Patti Galle, the Executive Director of NCPIN, said people were raving about “how good [the] vegan food was,” and added that “many had not tried it before [and] loved it!” It is always fun to try new foods. It is also so exciting to see more and more animal welfare groups like NCPIN expanding their scope of impact by choosing to leave animal products off their plates at events. Way to go, NCPIN! We deeply admire your commitment and compassion.

If your organization is interested in hosting its premiere plant-based event, be sure to check out our grants page.

Vegan Event Grant Recipient: Alberta Spay and Neuter Task Force

We are proud to announce the first ever recipient of the new Food for Thought Vegan Event Grant! The Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force (ASNTF), which helps reduce companion animal overpopulation in Canada’s First Nation communities, held a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon earlier this month. From all accounts, it was a smashing success!

Jackie Lind, the Medical Manager for ASNTF, reported that the event “was well attended” with a “fun atmosphere and rave reviews about the food.” “[The food] was amazing and most people had several plates full,” she added. And we can see why! 

ASNTF served up a delicious 100% plant-based buffet including Thai tofu subs, falafel skewers, two varieties of popcorn chicken, jackfruit pulled pork tacos with coleslaw, loaded nachos with homemade salsa and guacamole, and assorted vegan sushi rolls. They topped it off with blueberry vanilla cupcakes for dessert.

The food was catered by local restaurants in Calgary, AB, including the all vegan Dandelion Cafe, with the vegan sushi from Globefish, and cupcakes from Planet Organic.

We are proud to have sponsored this event with our Vegan Event Grant and wish ASNTF all the best as they continue their amazing work and further become truly humane leaders!

National Animal Welfare Conference—Toronto, Canada

From April 16-19, animal advocates from across Canada came together in Toronto for the National Animal Welfare Conference, hosted by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. Food for Thought Canada Coordinator, Patti Nyman, delivered a presentation on the Food for Thought program as part of a panel called "Does What We Eat at Events Matter?" Co-panelists included Nicholas Gilman, executive director of the Montreal SPCA, and Geoff Urton, senior manager of stakeholder relations at the BC SPCA. The panel was popular, inspiring, and community-building.

The conference was a huge success! The atmosphere was both cooperative and collaborative, and critical and challenging. The food was delicious: all veg, mostly vegan, and included a nacho bar at the opening reception, an Indian-inspired buffet, wraps and sandwiches, burritos, mixed salads, and out-of-this-world cupcakes! Our table was busy, as attendees pondered our message, and we handed out 40 Advocate Toolkits, 35 Campaign DVDs, Humane Eating Guides, and lots of literature about Animal Place! Our panel was one of the most well-attended sessions, and shelter staff from the largest to the smallest of organizations were ready to have conversations about the food they serve at events. Many are bringing their enthusiasm about the campaign back to their organizations so they can begin working toward a plant-based menu policy.

With 5 regional coordinators across the US and Canada, we're so excited to bring the message of compassion for all species to the sheltering community! Get in touch if you'd like to see us at your event!

A National Survey of the Best in Shelter Fare

FOOD FOR THOUGHT STAFF HIT UP SHELTERING EVENTS 
& DISCOVER THE BEST VEGGIE BITES 

As many of our readers know, the Food for Thought Campaign has gone NATIONAL this year! In our travels, we're discovering some truly amazing veggie fare at animal welfare events across the country. Take heart and try not to salivate too much over these mouthwatering meals. 

We hope this inspires you to get creative with your menus and try your first all-veg/an event, if you haven't already! 

NEW ENGLAND: New England Federation of Humane Societies Conference

• BREAKFAST: Bagels, Veggie Cream Cheese & Jam

• LUNCH: 3-Bean Chili, Lentil Stew, Mashed Root Vegetables, Asian Greens & Herb Salad w/ Chili Vinaigrette, Sesame Vegetable Stir Fry & Fried Rice, Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff w/ Noodles, Cheesy Polenta Cake over Ratatouille 

• SNACKS: Soft Baked Pretzels w/ Gourmet Mustards, Edamame Snack Packs

• DESSERT: Ooey gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies, Whoopi Pies (they were gone in minutes!)

NEW JERSEY: St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center's Canine Cotillion

• HORS D'OEUVRES: Marinated Artichokes, Eggplant "Caponata", Couscous Salad

• DINNER: Butternut Squash Ravioli w/ Wild Mushrooms and Crispy Kale, Grilled Vegetable Wellington w/ Mushroom Cream Sauce, and Pan-Fried Artichoke Cakes w/ White Bean Puree and Asparagus

• DESSERT: Lemon Meringue Tart, Petit Fours, Sorbet

CALIFORNIA: National Museum of Animals & Society 1st Annual Gala (all vegan!)

• HORS D'OEUVRES: Bruschetta Toasts, Vegetable Pot Stickers, Pea & Potato Samosas, Pizza Wedges w/ Sicilian Eggplant & Pine Nuts

• DINNER: Asian Salad w/ w/ Carrot, Picked Red Ginger, Mandarin Oranges, Red Bell Pepper, Toasted Almonds + Won Ton Crisps; Pad Thai Noodles w/ Teriyaki Glazed Tofu Steaks, Broccolini, Grilled Pineapple

• DESSERT: Sorbet, Apple Almond Tart, Chocolate Cake, Assorted Cookies, and Seasonal Fruit & Berries 

Food for Thought Expands Across U.S.

Earlier this year, Animal Place expanded its Food for Thought campaign—originally piloted in California—by hiring three new regional coordinators to work in specific key areas in the United States. Chesapeake (Deva Holub), New England (Janice Krish), and the Northwest (Barbara Troyer) are now taking up the effort to work with area shelters and rescues to improve their plant-based offerings and adopt animal-friendly menu policies.

These coordinators are developing invaluable resources for nonprofits in the area so they can better source veg fare and more easily implement veg policies. Now and in the coming months, Deva, Janice, and Barbara will undertake outreach at area conferences, seek out additional endorsements, and work with local volunteers and activists. 

If you're in one of these regions, please reach out to your coordinator and see how the Food for Thought campaign can benefit you!

3 NEW REGIONAL COORDINATORS
JOIN FOOD FOR THOUGHT CAMPAIGN

DEVA HOLUB is the Chesapeake Regional Coordinator for Animal Place's Food for Thought Campaign. Vegetarian since the age of seven, Deva made the change to a vegan lifestyle in 2009 after reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Eating Animals”. She currently resides in Glen Arm, Maryland with her husband, Matthew, and two cats, Alphie and Sophie. She is also the proud co-owner, manager and full-time baker of, Sweet Dukes Vegan Bakery, a small-batch organic, vegan bakery she founded with her husband. 
deva@animalplace.org

BARBARA TROYER is the Northwest Regional Coordinator for Animal Place's Food for Thought Campaign. She also passionately advocates for animals, people, and the earth as the producer and co-host of All Things Vegan Radio; as Co-Executive Director of VegNet Bend; and through her work with a nonprofit that teaches nonviolent communication skills. Barb is finishing up her M.A. in Humane Education and is always seeking more ways to use her master's degree plus her writing, design, and IT skills in service to nonhuman animals. She has shared her home with many rescued cats and dogs and is currently ruled by five cats.
barbara@animalplace.org

JANICE KRISH is the New England Regional Coordinator for Animal Place's Food for Thought Campaign. Based in Salem, MA, Janice has previously work at The Humane Society of the United States and FOUR PAWS International.  As an animal advocate and entrepreneur she finds ways to make a difference for animals. Before moving to MA, she founded an animal ministry in CT, All Creatures Great & Small, and started The Underdog, an animal welfare newspaper for college students. She feels lucky to be able to work with her bunny, Fun, close at foot. She sees the Food for Thought program as a golden opportunity to choose compassion and looks forward to introducing fresh and innovative veg food caterers to your community.  
janice@animalplace.org

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

Animal Welfare Groups May be Losing their Appetite for Meat

It's a situation that has left many an animal lover in a quandary.

You want to support your favorite shelter or rescue at its annual fundraiser. But the bill of fare for the evening is a carnivore's dream.

Saving animals is key to the organization's mission. Oh, and how would you like your prime rib cooked?

”I don't understand the thought behind serving meat at events,” says Kristen Gerali, founder of ALIVE Rescue in Chicago. “We are so passionate about saving animals. To serve animals at an event is just… I don't know, wrong.”

ALIVE, which Gerali founded in March 2008, doesn't serve meat at any of the five to seven events it holds each year. It never has. She made it part of the group's mission statement.

”(The policy) is well-received and people respect us for it,” she says.

Vegetarian and vegan menus are not always the case with other animal welfare organizations. But that may be changing.

Other groups around the country are taking a step back and re-evaluating the food they serve at fundraisers, adoption events, or even volunteer recognition luncheons. For some, the time has come to back up their talk of compassion toward animals with action. Meat is out, vegetarian and vegan alternatives are in.

”Over 90 percent of animals raised for food are raised in factory farms. When that information is shared people don't want to be part of that,” says Heather J. Cammisa, president and CEO of St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey. “We're relied upon to be a leader in animal welfare standards, so we have to be active.”

When Cammisa came to St. Hubert's in 2010, the 70-year-old organization was serving meat at its events. She had previously worked with other groups that went vegetarian, “and when I came here we started the discussion.”

Now, St. Hubert's is meatless.

”Our mission involves the humane treatment of animals, building an environment where people respect all living creatures,” Cammisa says. “And this aligns with that.”

The shelters don't need a lot of convincing if a 2013 survey of people who work or volunteer at California shelters and rescues is any indication. It found that 85 percent believed it was ethically inconsistent for an organization that rescues animals to sell or serve animal products. Still, only 29 percent had adopted a vegetarian or vegan policy.

Cammisa believes that some organizations fear a negative reaction from donors and supporters. That wasn't the case for St. Hubert's, though initially some people needed to be reassured.

"People came up to us, you know, ‘I thought you were telling me what I could eat in my home.’ But this is great,” she said. “It's about opening eyes.”

Before Gerali founded ALIVE, she was with another group that tried to implement a no-meat policy, but there was resistance.

”A lot of people say, ‘People are paying money, they'll expect meat.’ Or they are meat eaters themselves. It's a lifestyle. You don't see… the cruelty animals have to go through just to arrive on our plate. It isn't pretty. Maybe they didn't realize.”

Gerali says that she has had only one complaint since ALIVE was founded.

”The gentleman was a big-time meat eater,” she says. “‘Where's the meat?’ I told him it's just not something we support. It's cool too because it's sort of an educational tool without getting in their face. We offer the (vegetarian) options and they enjoy the flavor, and we hope they follow up.”

Shelters, rescues and other groups that are considering a policy change are getting help from Animal Place, a California-based farmed animal sanctuary. Through its “Food For Thought” program. Animal Place is awarding $25,000 in grants to animal organizations that institute a vegan policy. The group began accepting applications in February.

In addition, Animal Place also gives suggestions on how organizations can explain and adopt the policy and even offers plant-based menus and recipes.

”The time has come,” Cammisa says. “When it was all discussed and when we were putting together our policy—and that we’d be encouraging people to reduce the demand—there was discussion, ‘Will this offend people? Will this be considered fringe?’ It's like herding cats and it needs to be discussed.”

"It'd be such a disservice to the animals if we came late to the party advocating for these animals. We have to be in the forefront. We shouldn't be lagging messengers for this."

bhageman@tribpub.com
Copyright © 2015, Chicago Tribune

A Lesson From the Academics

HUMANE FOOD POLICIES TAKE ROOT 
IN ANIMAL STUDIES CONFERENCES

We’re here to talk about all sorts of things. And we’re going to see some things. And we’re going to hear some things. And we’re going to eat some things. No animals for the weekend though—we’ve gone all vegan because that is a powerful commitment to the lives of animals as animals and aslives that does not in any way, through any rationale, encroach upon their lively animacy. A welfare defense of using animals for food or other purposes still has at its core the claim that animal wellbeing matters—makes a difference beyond obligatory inter-human politicking. And so we want to be mindful of that claim on welfare and try on for size what welfare-all-the-way, beyond and after WELFARE, might look (and taste) like. 

Animal studies is the burgeoning new field in academia that looks at animals in a wide variety of cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary ways. Think: literature, cinema, history, art, the sciences, and other areas of study. The field is sometimes also known as Human-Animal Studies, Critical Animal Studies, or Anthrozoology. As minors, majors, and even master's programs are being created in this vein, so are conferences. 

And just what do you think these conferences might have on the menu for their hungry lifelong learners? Well in the case of the "All Things Great and Small" conference at the University of California - Davis, it was an all-vegan, four-day foodie extravaganza. Every morning featured a gourmet assortment of muffins and pastries. Lunch included soups, sandwiches, and fruit. As for break time—coffee and cake!

In his introductory welcome, conference organizer Ted Geier, put the event and the food offerings into context—

Welfare-all-the-way. We like the sound of that. Shouldn't animal shelters, humane societies, and rescue groups also try a ‘welfare-all-the-way’ approach? If the academics can do it, so can the welfare community. 

Conference attendees enjoy a day trip to PAWS sanctuary in Northern California, an organization that endorses the Food for Thought campaign and maintains a veg policy for their sponsored events. Photo credit: pawsweb.org.