IDA's Bay Area Events

Table of Contents
1. Attend California State Fair Meeting
2. Come to a 3-in-1 Day of AR Activism in SF
3. Watch "Echo of the Elephants" on The Discovery Channel
4. Protest UCSF's Experiments on Dogs
5. Gopher Gardening at Ocean Beach
6. Tell Your Assemblyperson to Vote YES on AB 1685
7. IDA's May 2005 Auction for the Animals


1. Attend California State Fair Meeting

The Board of the California State Fair is meeting on Friday, May 20, giving people a chance to speak out about how animals are used at the annual event. Rodeos, exotic animal acts, petting zoos, horse racing, and animal "birthing" exhibits are typically featured at the fair. In addition, while there will be no elephant rides this year, advocates need to make sure they aren't brought back next year. The Fair's 27-member "Animal Welfare Advisory Committee" (AWAC) meeting last week didn't do too much to help animals, so your voice is especially needed now. Come to the Public Forum part of the meeting and be a voice for the animals to ensure a permanent ban on elephant rides at the fair.

What: California State Fair meeting
When: Friday, May 20th at 12:30 p.m.
Where: California Exposition & State Fair, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento (visit http://www.calexpo.com/html/Directions.html for directions)

For more information, visit http://www.calexpo.com. To view the meeting agenda, click "Public Meeting Notices" on the left hand column.


2. Come to a 3-in-1 Day of AR Activism in SF

Join Bay Area Vegetarians (BAVeg) this weekend for a full day of activism and food featuring three consecutive events. Everyone is welcome to attend one, two, or all three of these exciting back-to-back events.

First, stick up for chickens abused by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) at a protest outside the notorious fast food franchise. Join the nationwide effort to educate the public about how the Colonel treats chickens wrong! Posters, leaflets, and other materials will be provided.

What: KFC protest
When: Saturday, May 21st from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.
Where: KFC, 1900 Irving St. (near 18th Ave.), San Francisco. Click http://tinyurl.com/8brrv for directions.

Next, relax with friends and enjoy a delicious vegan lunch at Shangri-La, winner of the "Best Lunch" category in BAVeg's 2003 vegetarian restaurant contest.

What: Vegan lunch at Shangri-La
When: Saturday, May 21st from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Shangri-La, 2026 Irving St. (at 21st Ave., three blocks west of KFC), San Francisco

Finally, learn how to write letters that really help animals at a special half-hour workshop presented by veteran animal rights activist Nora Kramer. Learn the secrets of getting your letters published as magazine and newspaper editorials and making the most efficient use of your writing time. After the presentation, apply what you've learned by writing personal, handwritten, high-impact letters to editors, legislators and corporations about issues that affect the lives of animals. Alerts from IDA and other organizations, as well as paper supplies, will be provided.

What: Letter writing party, with special half-hour letter writing presentation
When: Saturday, May 21st from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. (presentation on letter writing from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m.)
Where: Red Vic Peace Cafe, 1665 Haight St (at Cole), San Francisco. Click http://tinyurl.com/7cn5p for directions, or join the lunch group on the short bus ride from Shangri-La to the Red Vic


3. Watch "Echo of the Elephants" on The Discovery Channel

Watch the third in a series of documentaries about the elephant matriarch Echo and her family on the Discovery Channel at 9:00 a.m., Sunday, May 22nd. Conservationist Cynthia Moss and cameraman Martyn Colbeck have been documenting the lives of this family of African elephants in Kenya's Amboseli National Park for 14 years. The first film, "Echo of the Elephants," was broadcast in 1992, and the sequel, "Echo of the Elephants: The Next Generation," was shown in 1995. The latest installment in the series, "Echo of the Elephants: The Last Chapter?" catches up with the family after a gap of seven years. As with the first two films, never-before-filmed elephant behavior is revealed, enhancing our understanding of these fascinating and complex animals.

What: "Echo of the Elephants: The Last Chapter?"
When: Sunday, May 22nd at 9:00 a.m.
Where: The Discovery Channel


4. Protest UCSF's Experiments on Dogs

IDA is co-sponsoring a protest at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to turn a bright spotlight on the University's determination to conduct cruel and painful heart experiments on hundreds of dogs. This event will be similar to the Dog March that we held last month, which successfully drew public and media attention to the plight of UCSF's animal victims.

To keep up the pressure on UCSF to stop these experiments, we need as many participants as possible to ensure that all the local media cover the story. We also encourage advocates to bring their dogs to remind people that the animals used in experiments are living beings with feelings and personalities. Be aware that this event will take place on a busy thoroughfare, and that dogs must be leashed and kept under control for their own safety.

What: Protest against UCSF's dog experiments
When: Wednesday, May 25th from 9:45 to 11:00 a.m.
Where: UCSF Medical Sciences Building, Cole Hall, 513 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco. Click here (http://tinyurl.com/9jq2g) for directions.

If you can attend the protest, please call (415) 388-9641 ext. 228 or email alicia [at] idausa.org to RSVP so we can let you know if there are any changes. The demonstration will be rescheduled if it rains.


5. Gopher Gardening at Ocean Beach

Join the San Francisco Wildlife Protection Project, a joint effort by IDA and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, to create a wildlife "sanctuary" along the Great Highway. By landscaping the area according to the Parks Department's specifications, volunteers create a habitat for native gophers and prevent them from being trapped and killed. This is an on-going monthly effort, and happens on the first Saturday of each month. Please give us a hand so we can help the gophers.

What: Gopher Gardening
When: Saturday, June 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Where: Corner of the Great Highway and Wawona Street, San Francisco, at the small brick Recreation and Park maintenance building. Click here (http://tinyurl.com/4hnh2) for directions to this event.

For more information, please contact Kevin Connelly at (415) 388-9641, ext. 226 or kevin [at] idausa.org .


6. Tell Your Assemblyperson to Vote YES on AB 1685

Please help ensure the passage of AB 1685, an important bill introduced by Assemblyman Johan Klehs that will go to the floor of the Assembly sometime before June 3rd. If passed, AB 1685 will end the slaughter of animals on school property and allow students to opt-out of certain portions of the agricultural curriculum - such as castrating piglets or dehorning cattle - that they find morally objectionable.

While California enacted a law two decades ago that permits students to opt-out of dissections on moral grounds, no law currently exists to allow students in agricultural classes to opt-out of other practices that cause harm to animals. Animal slaughter on high school campuses is more widespread than many people realize: Approximately 30% of high schools surveyed slaughter animals on campus as part of their agricultural curriculum. Killing animals in school desensitizes young adults and destroys their natural affinity for animals while sending them a dangerous message that torturing animals is acceptable.

What You Can Do

Click http://ga0.org/campaign/AB1685 to urge your Assemblyperson to vote Yes on AB 1685. To have an even greater impact, please call or write a letter to your Assemblyperson. You can get your Assemblyperson's contact information by clicking http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/home.html and entering your zip code, or by calling the Government Information Hotline at (916) 322-9900 and giving the operator your address.


7. IDA's May 2005 Auction for the Animals

Support IDA's mission to defend the rights, welfare and habitats of animals during IDA's Auction for the Animals on eBay for the month of May. The auction gives you the opportunity to help IDA help animals while having fun bidding on a wide selection of over 250 elegant, exciting and unique items. The items, valued at more than $45,000, have been donated to IDA for this very special online fundraising event.

While the auction started on May 1st, the third wave is going on right now with new items that were added on May 15th. There are many fabulous items to bid on, including fantastic travel and accommodation packages, special celebrity memorabilia, and tickets for great entertainment and sporting events. Visit http://www.ebay.com/ida to see what's available. Once you find an item that you like, click on the link to view its description, the current bid price, and how much time is left until the bidding ends. Place your bid and keep an eye on it to make sure that, by the time the bidding ends, it's YOURS.

We are still accepting donated items to sell during the auction, so if you have an item that you would like to contribute, please contact Nicole Otoupalik at (800) 338-4451. All donations are tax deductible. If you already sell on eBay, now is a great time to designate 10-100% of your own auction proceeds to IDA by registering at http://www.missionfish.org the partner of eBay Giving Works.