1. What was your first experience with animals that had an impact on you?
My mother has always reminds me of when I was 12 months old being so concerned when our cat, Muse, lost her balance and fell off the couch. Fast forward many years and the accumulation of years of living with cats, turtles, fish, and other animals taught me that animals are capable of felling a range of emotions and fellings -- including happiness, sadness, and pain. 2. When, how, and why did you first get involved with the animal welfare/rights movement? I grew up with a love and respect for animals. I knew nothing about factory farming, however. I watched the film Earthlings, was in absolute horror, went vegan, and knew I wanted to get involved. I did some Googling about veganism and came across what I still think is the most concise, accurate blueprint for creating the most amount of impact per hour and dollar spent -- the essay called "A Meaningful Life" written by Matt Ball, executive director for Vegan Outreach (www.veganoutreach.org/meaningfullife.html). I was inspired to begin leafleting so I began doing so while living in Phoenix, Arizona with the great Jeff Boghosian. I found it to be really effective and I enjoyed doing it. I kept it up, took up volunteer opportunities, and upon graduating college was hired by Vegan Outreach and now tour around North America working to raise awareness about the animals' plight. 3. What are your favorite types of animal advocacy activities? Why? (i.e. lobbying, letter-writing, petitions, volunteering, protests, etc.) I find leafleting to be one of the most effective activities one can engage in -- plus it's easy to do and doesn't require much organization or recruiting of volunteers or anything. So it's accessible to all and super effective. Just grab a box of pamphlets, go somewhere with foot traffic (i.e. a college), and begin distributing them! 4. What animal issues are you most passionate about? I am most passionate about farmed animal issues because farmed animals comprise the vast majority of animals killed in the United States every year. My heart goes out to all animals that are exploited and killed but I feel I can make the biggest impact my concentrating my efforts where I can get the biggest "bang for my buck." 5. What advice do you have for someone looking to become a more active animal advocate? My advice to someone wanting to get more active for animals is to just do it. Just like with change, the hardest part is just getting out there. Once you do, you'll find it's super easy and rewarding. Contact me ([email protected]) or someone else from Vegan Outreach and we'll send you pamphlets -- all you have to do is dedicate an hour here or there for the animals. My call to action for you is to dedicate one hour per month to the animals. Order some pamphlets, take them out with you, and start distributing them. If you are unable to do this, then dedicating an hour of your paycheck and donating it to an effective animal advocacy organization is another way of helping. 6. What book, quote, photo, video, story, etc. have you found most inspiring/has inspired you? "A Meaningful Life" is the most inspiring essay I've read. "The Animal Activist's Handbook" by Matt Ball & Bruce Friedrich as well as "Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Creating Social Change" by Nick Cooney are the two most useful books, with "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie being a close third. I encourage omnivores to watch either "What Came Before" (produced by Farm Sanctuary) or "Farm to Fridge" (produced by Mercy For Animals).
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Tom Lyon resides in Oceana County in West Michigan with his lovely wife, Joan, and Betsy the Beagle. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University and has spent his career serving professors and students in higher education products and services. His love of animals began as a child exploring the woods, ponds, and streams of Michigan with his beloved dog, Towline. Tom has served as president of an companion animal welfare organization in West Michigan and volunteers time with many wonderful organizations such as the HSUS, Farm Sanctuary, and Mercy for Animals. Most recently, Tom served as a volunteer coordinator for the Keep Michigan Wolves Protected campaign. 1. What was your first experience with animals that had an impact on you?
I have loved animals for as long as I can remember, so that’s hard to say. But two events in my life come to mind. The first was when my parents said that we could adopt a puppy born outdoors in unpleasant conditions. He was so lethargic because his little belly was filled with worms. We named him Towline and he lived almost 18 years! He added so much to our family and helped me develop compassion for the animals. A second experience was when I was in high school and on my way home from my job at a restaurant very late at night and saw an injured dog lying in a puddle in the rain. It had been hit by a car. The way it looked at me, pleading for help, really touched my heart. I took her home and kept her warm and dry until the next day when I took her to the shelter. She was treated and adopted. That experience, all the way back in 1977, still motivates me. 2. When, how, and why did you first get involved with the animal welfare/rights movement? I first got really serious about taking action for animals in 2000. We had just moved up here to Oceana County (north of Muskegon) and found that the animal shelter was a horrible place. They used CO2 gas to kill the animals (I can’t even call it euthanasia, because it’s not a “good death”), the dogs had no bedding or any way to get off of the cold concrete, there was no volunteer program, and it was just a dismal place. I had a lot of experience in business creating proposals and making presentations, so I was sure the county would welcome a plan to make improvements. I wrote a nice report for the commissioners, and then presented it all to them in a very professional manner at the monthly, public meeting. When I finished with what I thought was a very compelling presentation and asked for their support, the president of the county commissioners looked hard at me, leaned forward into the microphone, and said “What is it with you animal rights activists?! Why do you even care how we kill the animals?” He then proceeded to tell me that no volunteer was going to dictate policy to the county and sent me away. I was utterly floored because I thought my presentation had gone very well. So I asked the county administrator what the commissioners really wanted me to do. What they expected from me. He said that they wanted me to go away and not come back. That’s when I got REALLY fired up and realized that we had to get organized, and we did. We founded a 501 (c) 3 organization, got a good board of directors, started doing outreach in the community, and most of all let the commissioners know that we wanted to help the county, but we definitely weren’t going away. After another 1 ½ years of some pretty difficult meetings, it started to get a lot better, and I am happy to say that we now have a great relationship with the county, and our shelter is one that I can highly recommend. The key to our success was persistence, a professional approach no matter how frustrated we got at times, and getting organized (like HSGV has done). 3. What are your favorite types of animal advocacy activities? Why? (i.e. lobbying, letter-writing, petitions, volunteering, protests, etc.) I do all of those things. There are three areas that I’d say are favorite ones. All are probably equally important to me. First, I volunteer at our local shelter walking the dogs nearly every Saturday. That means a lot to me because they enjoy it so much and it helps keep them socialized for adoption. Second would be anything the inspires others to take action themselves, such as encouraging people to eat less meat, helping people see that protesting the circus is actually a pleasant and uplifting experience, etc. Anything that gets others to become active is so meaningful to me. The third area is working to change laws. We are a nation that (mostly) respects the rule of law and nothing is more powerful than changing laws to help create a more compassionate society. The Keep Michigan Wolves Protected effort is a good example. We are using the law to help animals. 4. What animal issues are you most passionate about? Number one for me is farm animal protection. There are 9 billion animals on farms in the US at any given time, and nearly every one of them live in horrible, “factory farm” conditions. All other areas (companion animals, wildlife, animals suffering for entertainment, fur, vivisection, etc.) are important as well, but the sheer number of animals on factory farms just eclipses every other area. Farm animal protection is also the area where we have the most education to do because we are almost all raised eating these animals and don’t think much of it. It’s not uncommon to join activists who care very much about an issue such as companion animal rescue, but then stop at a restaurant for a meal and have them casually order something like bacon. They just don’t realize that the pig who was killed for the bacon was every bit as intelligent and sentient as the dogs they care so much about, and the pig undoubtedly had a miserable life before going to slaughter. These friends are very kind and compassionate people, just unaware of the plight of animals living on factory farms. 5. What current animal-related issue or campaign has caught your attention, and why? I’m currently working very hard with the Keep Michigan Wolves Protected campaign as an area coordinator. There is no (scientific) need to hunt Michigan’s wolves, and people don’t eat them or do much with their fur, so any hunt would be a trophy hunt. I feel that there needs to be a better reason than that to hunt an animal, so I joined the effort. Although this effort is focused on a relatively small number of animals (687 wolves in Michigan at last count), the Keep Michigan Wolves Protected effort has the ability to help all animals by continuing to foster the conversation about how we view animals in our society. We’re changing the ethic. It’s important for all animals, and for all of us as citizens as well. 6. How do you address animal issues within your career? My career in college publishing is not directly related to my activism. However, we all have the opportunity every day to encourage others to be kind. That’s what this is about, after all. And I try to save as much money from my job as I can to donate to organizations that help animals. 7. What advice do you have for someone looking to become a more active animal advocate? Find someone (like me) who is already involved and ask that person to help you get started. It’s super-easy to find someone who volunteers to help animals. Take that first step by joining an event, and if you are like me, you’ll find that it enriches your life in ways you never imagined and cannot describe. 8. What book, quote, photo, video, story, etc. have you found most inspiring/has inspired you? There are many, but the one that has had the most profound effect on me is Margaret Mead’s famous quote – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” The power in that quote cannot be overstated. Never, ever think that your voice and actions are insignificant. The Grand Valley State University academic year has come to a close, and so our Ask an Advocate interview blog will be on vacation until September. Please make sure to visit again in the fall & read the interviews we already have with wonderful animal advocates like Dr. Jonathan Balcombe, Allie Phillips, Kenny Torrella, Carol Manos, and Jill Fritz! The Humane Soicety of Grand Valley wishes you a safe, happy, and humane summer! Dr. Jonathan Balcombe was born in England, raised in New Zealand and Canada, and has lived in the United States since 1987. He has three biology degrees, including a PhD in ethology (the study of animal behavior) from the University of Tennessee, where he studied communication in bats. He has published over 40 scientific papers on animal behavior and animal protection. He is the author of four books, including Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good, Second Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals, and The Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure. Formerly Senior Research Scientist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, he is currently Chair of the Animal Studies Department with the Humane Society University. 1. What was your first experience with animals that had an impact on you? When I was 8 years old I was taken on a fishing outing with the director of my summer camp. He did all the dirty work: baiting hooks with worms, handling the gaping fishes I caught, removing the reluctant hooks, and killing the “keepers” with a knife through the head. I didn’t say anything but I saw it all completely from the fishes’ (and the worms’) perspective. I knew that fishing had no place in my future. 2. When, how, and why did you first get involved with the animal welfare/rights movement? I always had strong empathy towards animals, and I was inculcated early with the importance of social protest by my parents who strapped me in the stroller and took me on “ban the bomb” marches in England in the early 1960s. It was many years, though, before I became active for animals, beginning with a march on The Bay (major furriers) company in Toronto in the late seventies. As a graduate student I read an essay by Tom Regan titled “The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism.” I was already vegetarian but I realized that working for animals was a life calling. 3. What are your favorite types of animal advocacy activities? Why? (i.e. lobbying, letter-writing, petitions, volunteering, protests, etc.) I most enjoy public speaking, and writing letters to the editor. There are so many fascinating scientific discoveries coming to light these days, and it is a joy to share them with interested audiences. Writing a letter is usually a process of addressing a prejudice that a reporter has shown towards animals in an article. My home paper, The Washington Post, has been very good about printing my letters over the years. However, their policy of not printing two letters from the same author within 6 months makes it a sometimes frustratingly slow process, given that I see something in practically every issue that I want to rebut. I enjoy crafting the letter, and I always seek to end on a positive note, preferably with a step the reader can take to address the problem. I also enjoy the process of writing a book, though given the time investment that is more of a vocation than an activity. 4. What animal issues are you most passionate about? I am most passionate about the meat/dairy issue, hands-down. It affects by far the most animals (98% of all those killed by humans), and it is something individuals can take immediate personal steps to address. I regard veganism as the holy grail of personal activism for animals. A shift towards plant-based eating is an incredibly empowering act because even when the global situation looks bleak, one can have the satisfaction of knowing that “I am making a positive impact, every day.” I am also passionate about emphasizing the positive side of animals’ lives. Inevitably, one encounters a lot of disturbing, negative information in the course of working for animals. Yet animals, like us, are pleasure-seekers; the day-to-day lives of free animals bring them pleasure and joy. I’ve dedicated two books to the subject of animal pleasure because a) it has been so sorely neglected, and b) because it has great importance to our evolving view of animals. 5. What current animal-related issue or campaign has caught your attention, and why? There are so many, but this question brings me back to fishes. They are the most overlooked victims of human greed and cruelty. We kill probably more than 50 billion fishes yearly, yet very little attention is paid to them by the animal movement. Yet recent studies not only show conclusively that fishes feel pain, it turns out that they also have complex social and cognitive lives. To wit, this statement by the co-authors of a 2006 book titled “Fish Behavior and Cognition”: “Gone (or at least obsolete) is the image of fish as drudging and dim-witted pea brains, driven largely by ‘instinct’, ... Now, fish are regarded as steeped in social intelligence, pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment and reconciliation, exhibiting stable cultural traditions, and co-operating to inspect predators and catch food.” It’s time we paid more heed to the well-being of this large group of highly sentient creatures. 6. How do you address animal issues within your career? In 20 years of working for animals with several organizations, I’ve done a variety of things, but I’m most excited about my current position running the Animal Studies Department for Humane Society University. It brings me into contact with students who are not only smart, but also critical-thinkers. And I am overseeing the development of exciting new courses focused on animal sentience, evolution, food choices, and gender issues—all placed squarely in the animal protection context. Education is a necessity for social change, and we must cultivate sharp minds to lead this movement into the future. 7. What advice do you have for someone looking to become a more active animal advocate? Do something. Get informed. Go veg. Join up with others. Stay positive. No matter how strong the facts are in animals’ favor, people won’t join a movement that looks unhappy and negative. 8. What book, quote, photo, video, story, etc. have you found most inspiring/has inspired you? I have enough inspiration to last me several lifetimes, so I’m more focused on inspiring others. Here’s a video clip of animal play that I filmed in South Africa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFoqOgUSZEs. Check out Jonathan's website! Books by Jonathan:
Dr. Jennifer A. Pope has been a marketing professor at Grand Valley State University since 2003. She moved to West Michigan from Texas, where she had completed her PhD in Marketing and International Business. She has been the faculty advisor for the Humane Society Grand Valley since its inception three years ago. She has been involved in C-SNIP for most of the past nine year since moving to Grand Rapids, and formally joined the board just over three years ago. She was elected president of the board in January 2012. Dr. Pope shares her home with three cats (all fixed of course). 1. What was your first experience with animals that had an impact on you? I do not think there is just one experience for me that had THE impact on me, just a series of events that led to being involved with C-SNIP at the level I am. My parents had cats (all fixed) before they had children. We were raised with the cats and taught respect for animals from a very young age. It was natural for me to be at least somewhat aware of animals around me growing up. The summer after I graduated from high school I worked in a vet’s clinic as a receptionist. It was an experience for me to see all the animals and the owners’ care and concern for their pets. It put animal issues a bit more on my radar. While I was living in Taiwan it really starting to hit home how hard lives could be for animals. Animals in Taiwan are either pampered pets or strays. There were many dogs and cats living on the streets and when I asked what could be done, I was basically told nothing—there was no real system in place for animal rescue. Most people did not even see the strays. A couple of years after I got home from Taiwan, I moved to South Texas, where unfortunately the attitude towards animals was not that different from Taiwan. There was a cat colony at the university where I was studying, and I would help feed them and donate to the one and only no kill shelter in the area. The one incidence that struck me the most was when a friend of mine had started to feed a stray because her son was fascinated with it. When I asked what kind of care she was going to get the cat she was very non- committal—she felt feeding it was enough. I finally talked her into getting the cat spayed by pointing out that if she did not, she would have a dozen cats in short order. I also talked her into getting the cat vaccinated by saying that the woman’s son could get ill from an unvaccinated cat (rare possibility I know, but you gotta do what you gotta do). 2. When, how, and why did you first get involved with the animal welfare/rights movement? Prior to moving to West Michigan, most of my animal welfare work has been one shot type of deals, helping out where I could. That all changed when I moved here. I first got involved with C-SNIP shortly after I moved to West Michigan because a good friend of mine was on the board and asked me to help develop a survey for them. I had not been directly involved prior to that with animal causes but had been a financial supporter of the HSUS and other animal causes for a number of years. Until I got tenure here at GVSU, I mostly just volunteered for events and with marketing assistance. I had my intro to marketing class do a project for them, and some other small things. However, the moment I turned in my packet for tenure, I was on the board. (My friend knows how the system works). Since then I have been very active with C-SNIP and am currently the president of the board. 3. What are your favorite types of animal advocacy activities? Why? (i.e. lobbying, letter-writing, petitions, volunteering, protests, etc.) I think because I am an educator by trade, I like education the best. I like to inform people about what the issues are so that they understand the true picture and can make choices based on fact not myth. I find that there is a lot of misconception about many animal issues. For example, a lot of people do not realize how many animals shelters are forced to euthanize every year, so they do not see the big deal of letting their pets have litters as long as they find good home for all of them. Also, I cannot tell you the number of people who told me that it was healthier for me to let my cat have a litter before getting her spayed. When I get the chance, I try and dispel these old wives tales. 4. What animal issues are you most passionate about? If you have not guessed already, I am most passionate about spay and neuter. My dream would be to see animal shelters no longer have to euthanize. Or even better, go out of business. 5. What current animal-related issue or campaign has caught your attention, and why? There is a campaign in Michigan right now to include pets in protection orders in situations of domestic violence. I would love to see this law pass. Often women do not leave their abusers because the abuser threatens the animal. If the pet could be protected as well, I think it would make it easier for women to start over. 6. How do you address animal issues within your career? I am the advisor for HSGV. In addition, community service, and contributing my expertise to the community, is considered part of my job. So I guess that means that being on the board of C-SNIP would be considered part of my career. 7. What advice do you have for someone looking to become a more active animal advocate? I think the best thing that one can do is educate yourself about the issue(s) that you are interested in and not just jump in uninformed. That way you can make the best impact possible. Once you know what you are talking about people are more like to listen and respond to you and your message. 8. What book, quote, photo, video, story, etc. have you found most inspiring/has inspired you? “He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” –Immanuel Kant Kyunghee at Sasha Farms Kyunghee Kim, originally from South Korea, is the President of Veg West Michigan as well as an assistant organizer of Veg Meetup in Grand Rapids. Veg West Michigan was founded in 2010 with like-minded people who are compassionate about animals, especially farm animals, and who love to share the benefits of vegan lifestyle. Veg West Michigan’s mission is to educate the public about the benefits of a plant-based diet, to support national animal advocacy organizations at a grassroots level, and to build networks of vegans and vegetarians in West Michigan area. Veg Meetup was created in 2003 and Kyunghee Kim has been involved with it since 2008. After Kim moved to the United States, Kim discovered her affection and compassion for animals and she now lives with two dogs, JanieBle and Jolly-Charlie, and two cats, YJ and Scooter. 1. What was your first experience with animals that had an impact on you? When I grew up in Korea, not many families had a dog or a cat inside of their house. Pets and humans had a distinct territory and it couldn’t be commingled. Another way to put it: people lived in the house and animals lived outside of the house. Period! That was the norm for me. When I moved to the United States, however, the norm changed on the very first day. I freaked out when I saw my roommate’s cats laying down on my bed. I thought, “They shouldn’t be allowed to get in my bedroom. “ However, I soon I fell in love with their affectionate and loving behaviors, and I realized they are also sentient beings and have the same emotions that I feel. 2. When, how, and why did you first get involved with the animal welfare/rights movement? When I became a vegetarian in 2003, it was mostly because of ethical and environmental reasons, yet I didn’t really realize how animal welfare was deeply linked to my vegetarian diet. Later in 2006, I became a vegan and I was still not sure what was really going on beyond the meat section shelves where nicely wrapped parts of animal dead bodies were displayed. Then, I was invited to a World Peace Diet book club in 2008 and I experienced the enlightening moment of why I want to be a voice for these innocent God’s creatures after finishing my book. 3. What are your favorite types of animal advocacy activities? Why? (i.e. lobbying, letter-writing, petitions, volunteering, protests, etc.) I totally admire hardcore animal activists who take video footages at factory farms in order to witness the condition of farm animals. I truly appreciate the sacrifice they are making in order to witness those heartbreaking moments. I could never do it, but because of these activists, now we all know what the truth is. My favorite in-person advocacy activity is leafleting. It is amazing to come across many people who are still so ignorant about where their favorite meat dishes came from, how their beloved companion animals were possibly born, or how many little animals are killed for worthless lab testing for medicine or cosmetics. Sometimes I get into an interesting discussion on animal welfare issues with passerbyers and that is the best part of leafleting. Even though I don’t receive positive reactions right on the spot, I believe the literature will circulate and open someone’s eye someday. 4. What animal issues are you most passionate about? It is hard to choose only one because there are so many animal issues equally treated as important. Yet, if I have to choose only one, then it would be farm animal issues because they are the biggest number of abused animals and we overlook the issues on our table every day. 5. What current animal-related issue or campaign has caught your attention, and why? Recently my friend told me about “Swans Voice”, the local activist group to protect mute swans in Michigan which are about to be slaughtered by DNR who argues mute swans are an invasive animals and cause so many environmental problems and so on. It is so ridiculous to listen to the DNR’s position on why they should kill these innocent mute swans. Please check out the “Swans Voice” Facebook page for more information and ways you can take action: http://www.facebook.com/groups/swansvoice/. 6. How do you address animal issues within your career? Running Veg West Michigan and Veg Meetup is a volunteer job. My professional career is not close to animal advocacy at all, however, I always seek the opportunity to address animal issues. Being a good model of a vegan is another form of animal activism because giving up meats ultimately saves thousands and thousands farm animals’ lives. Introducing or preparing a good vegan meal to my peer or colleagues is one of my favorite tactics to hook people into entering the vegan world. 7. What advice do you have for someone looking to become a more active animal advocate? Animal advocacy isn’t necessarily being a PETA protest-kind of activist. Of course they catch your eyes immediately and make a huge impression, yet if you are sort of shy and not fond of radical methods, you are still able to be an active animal advocate. Stay alert to what’s going on in your area by joining a local animal advocacy group’s email list or social media pages. You may not save a Moon Bear in Asia, but you may save wild geese or mute swans who are forcefully transferred to a local facility and eventually killed. If your friend looks for a new pet, then tell them how it is a great idea to adopt him or her from local animal shelter. 8. What book, quote, photo, video, story, etc. have you found most inspiring/has inspired you? I highly recommend the World Peace Diet by Dr. Will Tuttle. His profound thoughts on our meat eating culture and how we became so desensitized to killing animals for food helped me to structure the foundation of my vegan lifestyle. Interested in Veg Eating? Join the Veg West Michigan Facebook Group & Veg Meetup Group! Allie Phillips is the Director of the National Center for Prosecution of Animal Abuse and Deputy Director of the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse, at the National District Attorneys Association in Alexandria, VA. Born and raised in Michigan, she has significant prosecution experience as a former Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Lansing, Michigan, and has been training prosecutors and criminal justice professionals since 1997. She was the Vice President of Public Policy and then Vice President of Human-Animal Strategic Initiatives for American Humane Association where she worked on legislative issues and developed national initiatives on human-animal interactions, including creating the Therapy Animals Supporting Kids (TASK)™ Program. She is the Founder of Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T)™ which is the first national initiative to house families and pets together after violence. She co-founded Friends of Ingham County Animal Shelter in 2000 and Michiganders for Shelter Pets in 2011. She is the Vice President of No Paws Left Behind, council member of the Michigan State Bar Animal Law Section, National Link Coalition steering committee member, and volunteer/past president of King Street Cats (Alexandria, VA). She is a nationally recognized trainer and author on animal protection and is a published book author. She also owns Manifested Harmony, a business that provides services and training on energy healing, especially for animals. Learn more at www.alliephillips.com (and follow her on Twitter and Facebook). 1. What was your first experience with animals that had an impact on you? I grew up surrounded by animals and when I was about 7 or 8 years old I brought home a stray cat named Tramp. But the first significant impact was when I was a college sophomore at Michigan State and adopted a cat named Tabitha from a local shelter with my then-boyfriend. I was horrified at the living conditions and how many pets were at the shelter. That made a lasting impression on me that continues to this day. Helping shelter animals has since been one of my main missions. All of my cats have been adopted from Michigan animal control shelters. I currently have Oscar and Lucy who I adopted from Ingham County Animal Control in 1998 and 1999. 2. When, how, and why did you first get involved with the animal welfare/rights movement? When I was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Ingham County, I began volunteering for Ingham County Animal Control in January 2000. At that time, our volunteer group was not welcomed. Within a few months, I learned that the shelter was selling the cats and dogs to a Class B dealer who then resold them for research. I had never heard of pound seizure and was horrified to learn that this practice was legal in Michigan and being practiced (at that time) in about 20 shelters. That is the moment that I became an animal advocate. I was a co-founder and board member of Friends of Ingham County Animal Shelter and we mobilized to end the practice. We spent about 3 years lobbying the County Commissioners and educating the community to end the practice. Eventually we were successful in June 2003 when the Board of Commissioner passed a resolution stopping the Class B Dealer from taking the shelter pets. From there, I provided legal guidance and advice to advocates in Jackson (banned pound seizure in 2006), Eaton (banned pound seizure in 2008), Montcalm (banned pound seizure in 2010) and currently in Gratiot and Mecosta counties (pound seizure will end 6-30-12). It also helped me to write and have published How Shelter Pets are Brokered for Experimentation: Understanding Pound Seizure in August 2010. It is the first and only book dedicated to exposing the barbaric and outdated practice of pound seizure. 3. What are your favorite types of animal advocacy activities? Why? (i.e. lobbying, letter-writing, petitions, volunteering, protests, etc.) For me, my power is through my words. I am an excellent writer and public speaker (from being a trial prosecutor and national trainer since 1995). So my work involves lobbying (which I did professionally for 3-1/2 years at the federal and state level), letter writing, petitions, mobilizing grassroots advocacy, volunteering, and educating others. This is why I co-created Michiganders for Shelter Pets with Holly Thoms (Voiceless-MI) and invited three other passionate Michigan advocates to join our group to help mobilize Michiganders to help pass laws to protect shelter pets. 4. What animal issues are you most passionate about? I am most passionate about ending pound seizure, gas chambers in shelters, animal cruelty and neglect, and also human-animal bond issues (keeping people together with their pets, even in times of crisis). All of my paid and volunteer work involves animals in one regard. I even have a small business that provides energy healing for animals and trains people on how to provide energy healing. This can be especially beneficial for shelter pets and animals who have been abused. 5. What current animal-related issue or campaign has caught your attention, and why? Through Michiganders for Shelter Pets, we have worked to have two bills filed to end gas chambers in Michigan shelters. I wrote and worked on these bills in 2009 when I was Vice President of Public Policy for American Humane Association. Gassing animals is completely unnecessary, outdated, inhumane and more costly to shelters than injection. And while no one wants to think about shelter pets being euthanized, one thing we should all agree on is that gassing is not appropriate. 6. How do you address animal issues within your career? I’m a “jack of all trades” when it comes to animal protection in my work. I handled animal cruelty cases when I was a prosecutor. When I joined the National District Attorneys Association in 2003, I nationally trained prosecutors and other criminal justice professionals on the linkages between violence to animals and people. When I joined American Humane Association in 2007, I was Vice President of Public Policy and worked on federal and state legislation to protect animals. In 2011, I returned to the National District Attorneys Association where I launched and am the director of the National Center for Prosecution of Animal Abuse. We are training prosecutors and those that work with them on the proper investigation and prosecution of animal abuse cases. We host free one-hour monthly webinars and have a free online newsletter (please sign up for these). You can learn more at http://www.ndaa.org/animal_abuse_home.html. 7. What advice do you have for someone looking to become a more active animal advocate? Please forgive the shameless plug, but buy my book called Defending the Defenseless: A Guide to Protecting and Advocating for Pets released July 2011. The entire book is filled with chapters to educate on the multitude of ways to help companion animals. The “You Can Do More” tips at the end of each chapter describe how to get involved, from the simplest task to more involved advocacy and employment endeavors. It has been described as the “Bible for animal advocacy” and will inspire you to get involved. The other piece of advice that I have is this … if you love animals, you have to be a voice for them. We are at a tipping point in getting more protection for all animals and this can only happen if we all work together. Even taking the small step towards only purchasing cruelty-free cosmetics and household cleaners would lessen the number of animals victimized in animal research each year. 8. What book, quote, photo, video, story, etc. have you found most inspiring/has inspired you? There are far too many to list. I am inspired everyday by the little acts that people take to help animals. Right now, I am most inspired by the people and organizations helping the animals at the Gratiot and Mecosta County animal shelters to avoid pound seizure and gas chambers. I have been a volunteer in the trenches like that and know the daily toll it takes on your emotional, mental, physical and spiritual well-being. I am grateful everyday for the work that they do, and for the work that other Michigan rescue groups do to take those shelter pets into their care. Holly Thoms is the President & co-founder of Voiceless-MI, a mid-Michigan area rescue group/foster care network. Voiceless-MI finds homes for pets that are taken from Michigan shelters that sell to research and/or use the gas chamber. She is also a co-founder of Michiganders for Shelter Pets (M4SP). Michiganders for Shelters Pets was created to help bring together Michigan voters, animal shelters, animal protection organizations, businesses, and professionals in a coordinated effort to advance the welfare of Michigan shelter pets. M4SP is not a lobbying organization; instead, it is a coalition to bring Michiganders together for a common purpose. 1. What was your first experience with animals that had an impact on you? 2. When, how, and why did you first get involved with the animal welfare/rights movement? I have always loved animals since I can remember. But my first experience that made me want to help animals was at our local animal shelter. I received an email that said the shelter was going to euthanize dogs because they didn’t have the manpower (inmates) to clean up after them. So I went in to help clean. And I went back often after that. I found out that our local shelter sold their dogs & cats to the Class B Dealer (research middle man) and was horrified. I decided it was time to make my voice heard and do whatever I could to make the practice stop. That was Ingham County Animal Control and the practice was stopped in 2003 after a huge outcry from the county citizens. 3. What are your favorite types of animal advocacy activities? Why? (i.e. lobbying, letter-writing, petitions, volunteering, protests, etc.) I like talking to people who are starting out and wanting to find out what they can do. One motivated person is more powerful than you know. I like to make sure people understand that. If you are a “self starter”, there are so many things you can do on your own and on your own time frame that’ll make a difference. You can write your to your legislator, you can call your legislator, or even make an appointment to meet with them. The list of things one single person can do goes on and on—if you are motivated enough to sit down and do it. 4. What animal issues are you most passionate about? Without a doubt, pound seizure. Pound seizure is the practice of selling or giving away of shelter cats & dogs for research or experimentation. Right now we are down to ONE animal control in Michigan, Gratiot County Animal Control, that sells to the class B dealer (research middleman). To me that says Michigan does NOT want to take part in this practice. A state law needs to be enacted to end pound seizure in our state. 5. What current animal-related issue or campaign has caught your attention, and why? Ending pound seizure in Michigan is always on my radar. However, since no legislation was introduced in the 2011-2012 session, I have put my focus on Grant’s bills, SB 423/424. Grant’s bills were named after a friendly dog that was killed in the St. Joseph County gas chamber. If these bills are enacted, they would require that all Michigan animal shelters and Class b dealers euthanize animals via EBI (euthanasia by injection). For more information on Grant’s Bills, please visit: http://michigandersforshelterpets.org/grants-bills/. 6. How do you address animal issues within your career? My current job is not in the animal welfare industry. I work 9-5 managing a sales office. Which goes to show you will alway find time to do something you love. Anyone can do what I do if they make it priority. Calls, emails and lunchtime faxes make a difference....that is a great place to people to start. 7. What advice do you have for someone looking to become a more active animal advocate? Step out of your comfort zone! It might seem scary to go talk to a legislator or make that phone call. You will find out that they are just like us. The next time it won’t be so scary and you make more of an impression in person than any other way. Also, please remember that change does not happen overnight. It can be long and drawn out and very frustrating. But don’t give up. Be consistent, be knowledgeable, be polite, and be persistent! 8. What book, quote, photo, video, story, etc. have you found most inspiring/has inspired you? I would highly recommend Allie Phillips Defending the Defenseless: A Guide to Protecting & Advocating for Pets. Not just because I was interviewed for the book, but because this book is filled with different ways you can help and make a difference. There is something in the book for everyone, ways you can help that you probably haven’t even thought of before. Carolyn Schnurr is a Federal Legislative Manager for the Government Relations team of The American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Carolyn’s work involves developing strong relationships for the ASPCA in Congress and with agency officials to advance animal welfare legislation at the federal level. Carolyn has always been an animal lover, but it was through her animal-focused law school projects and time spent volunteering at a wild horse sanctuary that she was able to define her true calling. 1. What was your first experience with animals that had an impact on you? I’ve been infatuated with animals for as long as I can remember – a trait I’m confident I got from my mother. Our household had all kinds of pets growing up. We could never resist welcoming another furry member to our family. From my earliest memories I had dreams of working with animals: first I wanted to be a zookeeper, then a veterinarian, and now here I am, a federal lobbyist for animal welfare issues. 2. When, how, and why did you first get involved with the animal welfare/rights movement? There are two distinct memories that stick out in my mind as my earliest inklings that I was meant to be a part of the animal welfare movement. As part of my health class my freshman year of high school, we watched a video on food production, a segment of which showed footage of gestation crates and a mother sow desperately trying to reach her piglets through bars that separated them. I can remember the images like it was yesterday and the realization as to what those animals suffered shook me to my core. I gave up eating pork that very day. The second event was when I decided to write a high school research paper on animal testing – specifically for commercial/cosmetic purposes. I knew nothing about the issue going in and was horrified by what I learned. I specifically remember learning about the Draize eye testing done on rabbits, a procedure where product is applied to the eyes of restrained rabbits who are unable to flush the solution from their eyes, and they are then observed for days or weeks to note any damage that occurs to their eyes. The pain these testing animals experience can be immense and can go unrelieved for agonizingly long periods of time. Again, my world perspective was shaken, and I gained a whole new awareness as to vast suffering of helpless animals that I never before knew existed. 3. What are your favorite types of animal advocacy activities? Why? (i.e. lobbying, letter-writing, petitions, volunteering, protests, etc.) Being a law school graduate, and thus a bit of an academic nerd for statutory work, I love lobbying on bills and performing research for the sake of building support for animal welfare legislation. I also love working hands-on at the ground level with at-risk animals. Though I learned of the animal welfare movement early on, it was my time spent at Dreamcatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary caring for wild mustangs and horses saved from abuse/neglect cases that brought me back to the movement. I think being engaged with the animals we strive to protect helps remind people in the movement who they’re doing this for and why. 4. What animal issues are you most passionate about? That’s a difficult question. Being a lobbyist means I have to be well-versed in a variety of issues and must be able to advocate passionately and articulately on each one. I think my answer would be that I am most passionate about whichever animal issue I have the greatest ability to assist with at the time action is needed. 5. What current animal-related issue or campaign has caught your attention, and why? Through law school and my subsequent career path, I’ve gained an expertise in horse-welfare initiatives, thus I spend a lot of time working on issues such as horse slaughter and humane horse transportation. My time spent at the wild horse sanctuary has alerted me to the plight of our country’s wild mustangs in the West and the serious need for reformations in the way they are managed. There has been a lot of movement in recent years on other issues of huge importance as well, such as animal fighting, puppy mills, and farm animal welfare, and I’m also excited to help advance initiatives involving those issues. 6. How do you address animal issues within your career? I am a federal legislative manager for the ASPCA, which involves preparing information to educate the public and congressional offices about important animal welfare bills we support or want to introduce and then communicating that information to our members and meeting with congressional offices on these issues. The type of work I do is in pursuit of large-scale change that will improve animal protections nationwide. I’m thrilled to be doing this kind of animal welfare advocacy every day. 7. What advice do you have for someone looking to become a more active animal advocate? The most important thing I can say is just start somewhere! You don’t have to have it all figured out at the start. If there’s an issue that you want to learn more about, research it or see if you can do a school project on it. If you are interested in how shelters work – volunteer at one! Getting started by following your curiosity will open doors to other opportunities down the road. 8. What book, quote, photo, video, story, etc. have you found most inspiring/has inspired you? At the risk of sounding cheesy, I have to say that the book that has stuck with me the most over the years is “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss. The message transmitted through its pages is clear, powerful, and memorable. The choices we make as humans have far-reaching impacts on our planet and the animals that inhabit it. The welfare of wild animals, farm animals, and companion animals alike is inevitably affected by our human actions. I often recall, particularly on exhausting days, one of the book’s most powerful lines: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” It’s a message that I first encountered as a very young child, and it’s a motto that I truly believe helped shape the choices I made growing up and led me to the position I’m in today. And I couldn’t be happier about that. Kenny serves as Mercy For Animals' Chicago Campaign Coordinator, organizing events, overseeing campaigns, and coordinating volunteers and interns throughout the Windy City. Mercy For Animals is a national non-profit animal protection organization dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals and promoting compassionate food choices and policies. 1. What was your first experience with animals that had an impact on you? I learned at an early age that my companion animals had their own needs, interests, preferences, and personalities. In high school, when I first learned about the routine cruelties inflicted upon pigs, chickens, cows and fish, I had to withdraw my support. I wouldn’t pay others to mutilate, confine, and slaughter cats and dogs, so I couldn’t justify paying others to abuse and kill farmed animals, who are every bit as capable of experiencing pain, suffering, joy and other emotions as my companion animals. 2. When, how, and why did you first get involved with the animal welfare/rights movement? Shortly after going vegan in 2007, I saw the documentary Earthlings. The next day I began thinking about how I could raise awareness and inspire others to choose compassion over cruelty. Since then, I've been fortunate to intern, volunteer, and work for fantastic organizations effectively working to prevent cruelty to farmed animals. 3. What are your favorite types of animal advocacy activities? Why? (i.e. lobbying, letter-writing, petitions, volunteering, protests, etc.) The power of leafleting and its benefits for animals cannot be overestimated. Leafleting is effective on a number of fronts, making it one of MFA's core strategies for promoting cruelty-free food choices. Leafleting is great because you don’t need a large group of people or extensive advance planning. If you spend only two or three hours a month on leafleting, you can easily hand out as many as 500 or more leaflets. If you conservatively estimate that one in every 100 people you leaflet is eventually compelled to go vegetarian, you've inspired five new vegetarians or vegans in that month alone. Paid-Per-View is a new campaign whereby we invite people to watch a 4-minute segment of the 12-minute, eye-opening MFA documentary Farm to Fridge, and afterwards they receive a dollar. After watching only a few minutes of how animals are treated on modern farms, hatcheries and in slaughterhouses, many people walk away swearing never to eat animals again. Click here for info on how you can organize a Paid-Per-View event in your area. 4. What animal issues are you most passionate about? I’m most passionate about farmed animal advocacy. Since over 95% of the cruelty to animals in the United States occurs at the hands of the meat, dairy, and egg industries, which confine, mutilate, and slaughter over 9 billion land animals each year, the standard American diet is the leading root cause of animal abuse. We can choose kindness over cruelty every time we eat, and inspire others to do so as well. 5. What current animal-related issue or campaign has caught your attention, and why? Currently five states – Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, Iowa and New York – are pursuing whistleblower suppression bills, which would make it a crime to take pictures or record video at factory farms and slaughterhouses. Video footage is the most powerful tool the animal protection movement has to expose the plight of farmed animals. People have a right to know where their food comes from and farmed animals have a right to have their stories told. 6. How do you address animal issues within your career? Mercy For Animals works to be a voice for farmed animals through effective and results-driven campaigns. Our groundbreaking undercover investigations into factory farms and slaughterhouses have resulted in corporate animal welfare policy reforms, criminal prosecutions, and mainstream news coverage, and have influenced countless consumers to choose compassion over cruelty every time they eat. Mercy For Animals distributes hundreds of thousands of pro-veg booklets and gives presentations to thousands of students – effectively raising awareness about factory farming and veganism on a grassroots level. And every year, MFA exposes millions to the plights of farmed animals with powerful bus, billboard, magazine, web, and TV ads. 7. What advice do you have for someone looking to become a more active animal advocate? There are limitless ways to get active for animals, and here are a few ideas to get you started:
8. What book, quote, photo, video, story, etc. have you found most inspiring/has inspired you? I’ve witnessed firsthand the powerful impact MFA’s short documentary Farm to Fridge can have on inspiring people to switch to a vegetarian diet. I’ve seen dozens of people cry, writhe in shock, and promise to begin making choices toward a vegan diet after seeing the video. At one festival, many Farm to Fridge viewers afterward would ask us what they could eat, and we ended up sending dozens of festival-goers over to the all-vegan food booth for lunch! As a movement, this film is one of our most powerful tools to effect change for animals. |
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To feature prominent as well as lesser-known animal advocates in order to a provide a resource for those interested in learning about current advocacy activities and how one can get more involved in the animal protection movement. |