IDA e-news: 12/28/05

IDA ACTION ALERTS
1. Make a Healthy and Compassionate New Years Resolution - Go Vegan
2. Chinese Fur Investigation
3. eBay Drops Plans to Allow Buying and Selling of Live Animals

CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES
1. Bloomington, Indiana Becomes Newest Guardian City
2. Oil Drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Hits Roadblock
3. IDA's Hurricane Relief Effort Continues Through the Holidays


IDA ACTION ALERTS

1. Make a Healthy and Compassionate New Years Resolution - Go Vegan
Get Physically Fit and Make the World a Better Place with One Simple Lifestyle Change

At the beginning of every New Year, millions of people try to make a fresh start by resolving to improve themselves. Popular resolutions include starting a diet and/or workout routine in order to shed unwanted pounds and get physically fit, and trying to do more to make the world a better place. What we eat has serious consequences not only for our own health, but also for animals, starving people in developing nations and the planet we share, so going vegan enables you to accomplish both of these goals with one simple lifestyle change. Eliminating meat, dairy and eggs from your diet will not only help you get and keep the great body you want, but also directly reduce the amount of suffering in the world and send a powerful message of compassion to everyone you meet. That's why, if you aren't already vegan, IDA urges you to make going vegan your number one resolution in the coming New Year.

People who go vegan often report that the choice transformed their lives in surprising and exciting ways. Increased energy and stamina are a common benefit of a vegan diet high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. Well-balanced plant-based diets are low in fat, allowing most vegans to stay trim with minimum effort and without going hungry. In addition, all animal products have high cholesterol content, but all plant foods are naturally cholesterol-free, so a vegan diet also improves circulation and reduces the likelihood of heart attack.

Eating a diet that spares animals' lives, conserves natural resources and eases the strain on our planet's life support systems also empowers vegans to live in a way that promotes peace and respect for all living creatures. The nearly 10 billion cows, pigs, chickens and other animals slaughtered for food in the U.S. every year have physical and emotional needs and can feel pain just like our beloved cats and dogs. However, on factory farms they are treated like pieces of machinery that exist only to turn a profit for multi-billion dollar agribusiness corporations. These animals live in utter misery until they are slaughtered at a fraction of their natural lifespans. Farmed animals also consume much more food – such as grains and soy – than humans, but they don't produce nearly enough meat, milk and eggs to feed everyone. This wastes natural resources like water, topsoil and petroleum, and contributes to famine in many parts of the world. Animals raised for food also generate about 2.7 trillion pounds of manure every year, which pollutes our air, water and land, causing widespread habitat destruction.

What You Can Do:

- Go vegan in 2006 and experience the freedom and fulfillment of knowing you are doing something that will truly make you a better person and the world a better place. If going vegan overnight seems too daunting, gradually reducing your consumption of animal products will move you in the right direction. Visit http://www.worldgovegandays.com for more information about veganism and resources to ease your transition to a compassionate diet.

- Read the January/February "Health & Fitness" issue of VegNews magazine, featuring professional bodybuilder and IDA Vegan Campaign Coordinator Kenneth Williams on the cover. The 15 vegan athletes profiled inside - from Ultramarathon runners and champion cyclists to Olympic Alpine skiers and triathletes - are sure to inspire and motivate you. You'll also find plenty of tips on nutrition and training to keep you at the top of your game. Visit http://www.vegnews.com for more information.


2. IDA Takes On the Chinese Cat and Dog Fur Trade
New Campaign Materials Highlight the Brutal Skinning of Live Animals

IDA's campaign against the Chinese cat and dog fur industry is gaining momentum as word gets out about the sadistic torture of these defenseless animals for fashion. A recent investigation documented dogs and cats stuffed into wire-mesh cages and exposed to temperature extremes while being transported across the countryside. Some of these animals still wore collars and tags, indicating that they were stolen from their guardians not long before. They all met the same cruel fate at the hands of people who were videotaped laughing while skinning animals who were clearly still alive and conscious.

Even in our worst nightmares, we cannot imagine the horror that these animals endure to become a piece of clothing. Even those who still don't psychologically connect fur attire with the suffering of animals who were killed to make it are appalled by the torment inflicted on cats and dogs because many people share their lives with these species. IDA aims a message of mercy both at this demographic as well as those who already oppose the fur industry's exploitation of other fur-bearing animals for profit. The movement to end the carnage against cats and dogs used for fur is gathering strength quickly because even those who are not normally sensitive to animal welfare issues understand that this abuse is wrong.

In support of our campaign, IDA has just released a new public service announcement (PSA) and campaign flyer. The 45-second PSA features IDA Spokesperson Kenneth Williams speaking out against the Chinese cat and dog fur industry while displaying images of the atrocities forced upon these animals. The flyer includes photos of cats and dogs being killed for their fur, and describes what is done to these animals as well as what people can do to end their agony. We designed these new campaign materials to make everyone aware of what is happening to cats and dogs in China and motivate people to get involved in the effort to help them.

What You Can Do:

- Click http://www.onlinevideoservice.com/clients/ida/vid9 to see IDA's new PSA exposing the abominations that take place behind the scenes of the Chinese cat and dog fur industry. However, be forewarned that the PSA contains scenes that are extremely graphic and disturbing, and viewer discretion is advised.

- Protest China's deadly fur trade by organizing a demonstration in the coming months at a Chinese consulate: click http://www.visarite.com/chnConsulate.htm to find the one nearest you. You can also hand out IDA's anti-fur campaign materials on any crowded street corner in your area, or leave a few flyers in places where animal advocates are likely to read them, like your local coffee shop or health food store. Email IDA at antifur [at] idausa.org for free copies of our new flyer, or visit http://www.furkills.org/pdfs/true_price_fur_leaflet.pdf to print out copies at home.

- Sign IDA's petition ( http://ga0.org/campaign/ChineseAnimalLaws ) urging the Chinese Government to pass National Animal Welfare Laws.

- Write a letter to the Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. urging China to enact an animal welfare law that will prohibit the cruel handling of dogs, cats and other animals at markets and during transportation.

His Excellency Zhou Wenzhong
Ambassador of the People's Republic of China
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20008
202-328-2574
202-328-2582 (fax)

- Clothing retailer Ann Taylor recently announced that they will no longer sell fur, and will phase it out by the fall of 2006. Please let Ann Taylor know that you support their compassionate business decision. Click http://www.anntaylor.com/Templates/Content/contact_us.tem to contact the company by email, phone, fax or postal mail.


3. eBay Drops Plans to Allow Buying and Selling of Live Animals
Please Thank eBay for Listening to Animal Advocates and Encourage Company to Allow Free Listings for Animal Shelters

Last week, eBay, the world's most popular online auction service with over 46 million registered users, announced their decision not to launch a "Live Pets Classified Format" in the coming new year in response to "overwhelming" feedback from concerned customers. Numerous comments on eBay's online discussion forum ( http://tinyurl.com/aqz49 ) indicated widespread concern over the company's inability to guarantee that animals acquired through their website would be taken in by loving guardians. This positive outcome is proof that animal advocates do make a difference when they make their voices heard.

Concerned individuals strongly objected to eBay's plan based on the documented abuse of classified forums by unscrupulous individuals who use them to obtain animals for exploitive purposes. For example, some animals innocently listed as "Free To Good Home" in newspaper classified ads are actually "adopted" under false pretenses by Class B Dealers who are authorized by the USDA to sell animals to laboratories for research. Other animals wind up being abusively raised as fighting dogs or as "bait" to train fighting dogs. Still others are actually eaten by people who claim to be seeking an animal companion. Puppy mills (which raise dogs in filthy, crowded cages) have also historically misused other Want Ad formats for profit, selling sick animals to unsuspecting consumers. Animal dealers, dog fighters, indiscriminate carnivores and puppy mills would have most likely used eBay for these same exploitive purposes if the Internet auction house had implemented a Live Pets Classified Format.

While eBay has wisely abandoned their plan to facilitate the buying and selling of live animals through their website, they may still allow non-profit animal shelters to list adoptable animals for free. Such a service could be of great help in reducing the number of dogs, cats and other animals who must be euthanized every year for lack of loving homes.

What You Can Do:

Please click http://ga0.org/campaign/eBay to thank eBay for not including a Live Pets Classified Format on their website and encourage the Internet auction house to give non-profit animal shelters the ability to list adoptable animals for free.


CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES

1. Bloomington, Indiana Becomes Newest Guardian City
Help Your City Follow Bloomington's Example by Becoming an IDA Guardian Angel

IDA is pleased to announce that Bloomington, Indiana recently became the 14th city (along with one entire county and the State of Rhode Island) to include "guardian" language in their animal-related ordinances. Bloomington's nearly 70,000 residents join more than 2,700,000 people living in progressive communities across North America that officially recognize their citizens as animal guardians. Thanks to Karen Smith, our newest Guardian Angel, who spearheaded the effort to make Bloomington a Guardian City.

Bloomington, home seat of Indiana University, established other animal-friendly initiatives before becoming the latest Guardian City. Their municipal Animal Care and Control agency ( http://bloomington.in.gov/animalshelter ) incorporated "guardian" language into their documents and adoption applications to promote respect for animals, and their Foster Guardian Program enables residents to provide temporary homes for animals who have special needs or are in need of home-based socialization and training to increase their chances of adoption. The program has been extremely successful in reducing euthanasia of homeless animals. They also produce a weekly television program called Pets Without Partners that features adoptable companion animals and education on proper animal companion care. Bloomington recently opened the Pets ALIVE Spay/Neuter Clinic ( http://www.petsalivespayneuter.org ), which offers low-cost sterilization to reduce the homeless animal population in the area. The Monroe County Humane Association (MCHA) ( http://www.monroehumane.org ) is also located in Bloomington, and holds an annual Holiday Pet Food and Supply Drive. At the same time that Bloomington incorporated "guardian" language into their city ordinances, the City Council also voted to make other positive changes, like raising standards for the care of animals and increasing fines for animal cruelty. "Thanks to the efforts of numerous individuals, our city's animal code has been significantly updated to better protect our animal companions," says Smith. "I'm grateful to be part of this guardian community, where animal welfare is considered a priority."

Bloomington's adoption of "guardian" language is part of a growing trend in our society towards modernizing the terms we use to describe the relationship between people and animal companions. Increasing numbers of people see the term "owner" as outdated since it does not reflect the human-animal bond that exists in our culture today. The term "guardian" acknowledges a deeper level of respect, compassion, and responsibility toward animal companions and more accurately reflects the close relationship that often develops between humans and animals.

What You Can Do:

- Help your community become the next Guardian City by working with your elected leaders to incorporate "guardian" language into city ordinances, charters, by-laws and other official documents. See http://guardiancampaign.com/guardiancity.htm for a listing of Guardian Cities and check whether your city is there. If not, you can make a huge difference for the animals in your community by becoming one of IDA's Guardian Angels ( http://www.guardiancampaign.com/guardian_angels.htm ). To get involved, contact IDA Campaign Coordinator Anjee Lang at Anjee [at] idausa.org or (415) 388-9641 ext. 219. She will send you a Guardian Pack with step-by-step instructions, and is also available to personally guide you through every stage of the process. To learn more about the campaign and how you can help, please visit http://guardiancampaign.com .

- Pet Planet ( http://www.petplanet.ca ) - a chain of full-service animal companion specialty stores in Canada offering retail products, grooming, a resort and day spa, training, day care and nutrition counseling - has generously produced attractive green wristbands to promote IDA's Guardian Campaign. The bracelets are imprinted with the words "Embrace Guardianship," and are a great way for people to show their support for animal-compassionate guardian values. To get your free guardian bracelet from IDA, contact Melissa Gonzalez at Melissa [at] idausa.org.


2. Oil Drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Hits Roadblock
Senate Responds to Strong Public Opposition, Votes to Protect Pristine Habitat

While the issue will probably be re-introduced next year, the Bush Administration's attempts to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling have once again been defeated in a close U.S. Senate vote. Thanks to everyone who contacted their elected officials in response to IDA's call to action in previous e-newsletters and letting them know that their constituents oppose drilling in the wildlife refuge. Because of your dedicated efforts, oil companies and their mostly Republican supporters have not yet been able to open 1.5 million-acres of ANWR's coastal plain to industrial exploitation. The area is home to over 250 animal species (including polar bears, manatees, sea otters and millions of migratory birds) whose existence could be threatened by the construction of roads and pipelines across their fragile ecosystem.

Neither lawmakers nor the American public bought into Senate Republican leaders' attempts to tie drilling in Alaska to a defense spending bill that would help pay for both hurricane relief and the war in Iraq. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called the strategy "…a brazen attempt by the Republican leadership to hold funding for our troops and relief for Hurricane Katrina victims hostage to a misguided effort to open up the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling." Senator Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), who helped lead a filibuster against drilling in ANWR, said "It was wrong at the eleventh hour to try to attach this energy and environment measure to a bill whose sole purpose is to provide funding for the American military at a time of war."

The defeat of the drilling initiative stands as a major victory for those who care about the welfare of wild animals and the health of our environment. Progressives across the spectrum continue to oppose drilling in ANWR not only because of the devastation it would cause to endangered species and their home territory, but also because it will not ease America's current energy crisis. According to geologists, drilling in ANWR will only provide about 6 months worth of oil. In addition, any oil pumped from the refuge will take up to 10 years to reach the market, and most of it will be sold to foreign countries. Americans consume more than one-quarter of the world's oil output, yet the U.S. owns only 3% of the world's oil reserves. Many see the attempts to drill for oil in ANWR as a sign that America needs to dramatically reduce our dependence on oil through serious conservation efforts and developing alternative energy sources that are both renewable and easier on the planet.

IDA celebrates this triumph along with everyone else who worked to make it possible. Please continue to help us preserve the natural world and protect the living creatures who make their homes in it.


3. IDA's Hurricane Relief Effort Continues Through the Holidays
IDA Volunteers Make Crucial Food and Water Drops in New Orleans' St. Bernard's Parish

Even though volunteers are currently at a minimum as many people are spending time with family, IDA dispatched aid to the Hurricane ravaged Gulf States in time for the Christmas holiday. Husband and wife team and IDA employees Kristie and Eric Phelps were joined by volunteer Val Mizuhara to help animals in their time of need. They found they were able to administer assistance earlier than expected. On two separate occasions, the team came across groups of dogs running loose along the highways during the eighteen-hour drive south from Virginia.

Eve was found with a pack of dogs picking at a deer carcass along the side of the road. While the rest of the dogs ran off into a field, the ever-submissive Eve rolled onto her back and allowed rescuers to carry her to safety. Rudy was found on Christmas morning gallivanting on the interstate in Alabama. When he saw the friendly faces of the rescuers who had stopped on the highway to prevent him from entering the roadway because they were terrified that he would be killed by a car, he jumped happily into their arms. Neither animal was wearing a collar or identification tags. Thanks to the caring rescuers, these lucky animals will be able to find loving homes and will never again have to go hungry and risk their lives on dangerous roads scavenging for their next meals.

The rescuers spent the next several days doing food and water drops in New Orleans. St. Bernard's Parish, where the rescuers spent their time, only recently opened up to the public and rescuers. For months the area was closed off, even to the LASPCA, while the National Guard searched for bodies. Dogs and cats left homeless by the storm rely on the sustenance placed at drop points by caring volunteers for survival. Gradually, they learn to trust humans enough to be coaxed into the safety of their loving arms.

What You Can Do:

- Project Hope still desperately needs more shelters and rescue organizations outside of the disaster zone to take homeless animals rescued from the Gulf Area. Please contact hurricanekatrinainquiries [at] idausa.org if you or your local shelter can provide space for needy animals.

- We need funds to continue our rescue and relief work. Please consider a contribution to IDA's hurricane relief fund when making your end of the year donations. To donate, send checks made payable to IDA with a note reading "for hurricane relief" to In Defense of Animals, 131 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941. Click https://secure.ga0.org/02/varescue and scroll down to donate online using your credit card.


Invest in Compassion: Give a Gift that Gives Back

A Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) is a combination gift and investment that allows smart investors to increase current income while helping stop animal abuse and exploitation. When you establish a CGA, you transfer cash or securities to IDA and, in return, we pay you a guaranteed, fixed payment for the rest of your life. You can even name someone else as the beneficiary, or annuitant, of a gift annuity. Generally, the older you are when your gift annuity begins, the higher your scheduled payment. Upon your passing, or that of the last survivor of a "two-life" annuity, the principal underlying the annuity then becomes available to IDA.

The benefits of an IDA Charitable Gift Annuity include:
- The security of fixed interest income of up to 11.3% for the lifetime of you and/or a loved one.
- A charitable income tax deduction for a portion of your gift in the year it is established.
- Reduced capital gains taxes (if your annuity is funded with long-term, appreciated securities).

For more information on establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity (including interest rate information as proposed by the American Council on Gift Annuities), or to learn about other Planned Giving options, please contact IDA's Planned Giving Coordinator Nicole Otoupalik at (714) 389-2823 or via email at Nicole [at] idausa.org .


The Gift That Really Matters
by Jan Allegretti

Savannah just walked over and smiled at me. As usual she cracked my heart wide open, and all the busy-ness on my mind was washed away by the love I feel for her. And once again I was amazed by how much sweetness is in her eyes, as I have been every day for more than six years now.

We've had a rough couple of weeks. She was sick, and for almost ten days unable to get up or walk on her own. She was incontinent, and refused to eat anything but Mr. Barky's and Mr. Pugsly's (her favorite vegetarian dog biscuits). She needed constant attention, even through the night, to help her if she tried to get up, keep the bedding clean, and bring water when she was thirsty. I made an ongoing effort to come up with a meal she'd want to eat, and my back hurt from lifting her 115 pounds.

But really, the only thing that was a struggle was watching her go through it.

It's like that when you love someone this much. Since you're reading this, I know you know what I mean. Animals have the ability to open up the place inside where we love the best.

There's a common misconception about what animals do for us, and why our lives are so much better in their company. The prevailing assumption is that it's because they love us unconditionally. It's not that I disagree, but I think it misses the point. It's a little like saying all we really want to eat is chocolate cake. I'd hate to live in a world without chocolate cake, but what keeps me alive is a plate of fresh organic vegetables. Unconditional love is a gift, no question. But it's only the beginning. The real gift goes much deeper, and is even more invaluable.

It was Tashina who first taught me this. She was beautiful, tall, with a coat like black velvet. When we met she was just ten weeks old, nothing much more than ears and feet. It was a week after I'd moved across the country, and for a while she was the only friend I had within two thousand miles.

She grew to be stunning but challenging – she didn't readily assume the protocols of human society. It wasn't a lack of intelligence or an excess of aggression. It's just that she was independent and knew she had other options. She also seemed to lack the filters that most of us have to protect us from changes in energy, so she had fears that were difficult to predict or understand. A passing cloud or a stern glance from a strange dog could leave her trembling in the closet, laying flat out and immobile in a parking lot, or launching a display of bravado beyond all reasonable proportions. Nonetheless, I soon realized I loved her more than I'd known I was capable of loving. It had a quality of vastness to it that encompassed everything. Simply everything. When she was sweet it was easy, no surprise. But even when she was most difficult, there was never, ever a heartbeat that missed loving her. The love was always – always – huge. I had no idea I could do that.

Savannah, on the other hand, is easy. She is consummately gracious and polite. She has no idea that aggression exists in the world, and she wears her sweetness like a quiet radiance all the time, no matter what is happening in my brain or in her body. So yes, loving her is easy. What's remarkable is that she makes me aware of it a hundred times a day. Because she comes to me with her open heart, her sweet smile, and eyes that see straight into mine, she brings me into the moment with an awareness of what is best and most beautiful in both of us. Is there anything more essential than that?

Tashina and Savannah are not unique in their ability to teach a human to love. I know you've had similar teachers along the way. It's what they do. Animals help us to be more of who we are; they teach us to get back in touch with what is most true about us. It's no longer news that we're calmer, heal faster, and live longer when they're in our lives. They help rehabilitate abused children and soften the hearts of hardened criminals. And when it's just too hard to let our guard down with others of our own species, animals give us a space where it's safe to let the tears fall. All of that happens because in their company we can work through the layers of fear, anger, and insulation the world has wrapped around us, and rediscover what's most important – but much too easy to forget. They help us reconnect with the goodness at our core. I'm not sure any teacher, mentor, or guru can do more.

Savannah's feeling just fine now, thank you. But in good times and bad, her smiles bring me back to "be here now." When my fingers are on the keyboard and my mind lost in cyberland, she takes me from my head to my heart, and I smile, too. When the sheets needed changing in the middle of the night, the flash of annoyance quickly gives way to the quiet grace of doing something difficult in the name of love. In that moment I don't want to be anywhere else, and I'm grateful to know I'm capable of that.

The unconditional love of a dog is a blessing and a joy. But the opportunity to explore my capacity for love, and to be reminded again and again that I can choose to live in love here and now, is a far greater gift. It's a lesson in self-discovery and a catalyst for my spiritual growth.

In this season of giving, I can't think of a greater gift than the light of two big brown eyes showing me the love in my own heart. It's a gift I can pass along in the coming New Year and beyond.

Happy New Year to you and to everyone who helps you know your own goodness.

Jan Allegretti is a teacher, consultant and writer in the field of holistic health care for animals. She is the author of Listen to the Silence: Lessons From Trees and Other Masters, and co-author with Katy Sommers of The Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for Our Canine Companions. You can contact Jan with questions about caring for companion animals at AskJan [at] idausa.org . Also visit her web site at http://ListenToTheSilence.com .