Animal Advocacy Tip:

When you're stuffing PETA cards in with your bills (see previous tip), how about also including checks with messages advocating for animals, that also provide a donation for your chosen organization? Check out Message Products. They offer a variety of animal groups to choose from. I became aware of them through Farm Sanctuary, and ordered some up for my non-activist husband who was willing to at least do this kind of advocacy.

Besides bill-paying, anytime you write a check, the recipient will get an animal-friendly message. While online transactions have their appeal, sometimes technology eliminates this personal component, so I think we should take advantage of it where we can.

Amazing Vegan Thanksgiving Feast! (Only thing missing was the cruelty.)

At your Thanksgiving celebration, did you have Stuffed Shells, Macaroni Salad, Couscous, Green Bean Casserole, Orange Liqueur Sweet Potatoes, Tofurky with potatoes and green beans, Sweet and Sour "Meat"Balls, Roasted Lemon Rosemary Carrots, Mashed Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Stuffing, 2 kinds of gravy, Enchiladas, Walforf Salad, Cranberry Sauce, Applesauce, 5 different appetizer dips, with chips & veggies, Pumpkin Pie, Cinnamon Rolls, Chocolate Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Whipped Soy Cream, Apple Cider and Sangria? All without animal cruelty mixed in?

I can't imagine that anyone could have eaten any better than I did yesterday, due to the addition of animal carcasses and animal by-products on their table. Not only was the food delicious and satisfying, I didn't celebrate a day of thanks by supporting the pain and suffering of sentient beings.

We should all be thankful for the abundance of non-animal food choices and the creative people who devise fantastic dishes from them. I can't think of a better example of what Thanksgiving is about.

Backyard Birds - Providing a Water Source

The leaves are late to turn and fall this year, but the Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees and Wrens have returned to my yard on time. I'm a little concerned about the lack of Cardinal visitors this past year, but there have been an abundance of House Sparrows, Blue Jays and Mourning Doves.

Over time, I've begun to notice the different temperaments and personalities of each species. The cardinals are always first to arrive in the morning, and the last to visit at dusk - always announcing themselves while here. The doves are mellow and content to preen and rest much of the day, sometimes cautiously peering into my windows to see about the colorful cockatiels residing behind the glass. The sparrows only stay long enough to take care of business - arriving and leaving in large groups - squabbling with each other over food and water access. The wrens are incredibly curious about everything - latching onto the window screens to get a look inside, exploring every inch of the wooden deck and any planted pots. The chickadees eagerly approach as I put out seed - seemingly unfazed by human presence.

But what almost all the birds have in common is their enjoyment of bathing. And no matter what mood I am in, watching birds bathe is sure to put a smile on my face. They partake so completely and with such abandon - and lots of splashing! Wild birds appreciate a constant, clean source of water for drinking and bathing, and in return, you get to watch the show.

Pretty much anyone can find a place for a birdbath at their home. If you have a balcony or a deck, you can install one. One I use year round is a deck-rail model - it tilts for cleaning and has a built-in heating element to allow a water source in freezing temperatures. (The doves tend to hang out on it all day in snowy weather!) You can find them at many online wild bird sites, including this one in the Wild Bird category.

Whether or not you offer bird food, I highly recommend adding a bird bath somewhere outside. You won't be disappointed.

Thanksgiving at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary - The Pigs

I was with a new activist when he met live pigs for the first time this past Saturday at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, MD.

He was amazed at their size and gentleness and how much their eyes look like ours.

They approached us, wanting to be petted like dogs.

They followed us along the fence of their enclosure like cats, taking in our scents, and probably hoping for food.

They basked in the sun with what appeared to be smiles of contentedness.

I saw a pig run - RUNNING FAST - in joy and anticipation of something approaching, that caught her attention.

We brought them pumpkins, cracked them against the ground for them to indulge, while we indulged in a joyful moment of our own - getting the chance to witness them partaking of this yearly, autumn treat.

The first time I encountered the pigs at Poplar, they were all dozing in their enclosure, about 30 or so of them, surrounded by visitors bending down to touch and hug them. Standing amid this dusty sea of slumbering pigs, I looked at my husband, who was off a bit in the distance, and started to choke up and cry. I knew what their brothers and sisters were enduring that very second in cages, trucks and slaughterhouses around the world. Here I was surrounded by so few who managed to escape that fate to live out a long life in bucolic bliss, and I was overwhelmed by the bittersweetness of that reality. I wanted all of them to be this lucky...

Animal Advocacy Tip:

Although I don't pay too many bills by mail anymore, when I do I always include one of PETA's business-card sized leaflets like this that provide lots of informational bang for your buck, in a tiny format. My favorite to use is "Please think before you eat" with a photo of a turkey and info on the back. I don't see it on PETA's literature site at the moment, but the product code is VEG250 if you wanted to try to request it.

The people at these bill companies must get bored opening up so much mail, and I imagine they aren't expecting something in there for them. Hopefully they appreciate some information the animal industries would rather they didn't know. It's so easy, everyone should do it! And it takes a little of the sting out of bill paying.

Check back for more Animal Advocacy Tips in the future.

It's that most horrible time of the year...for the Turkeys

Shel Silverstein's poem so nicely sums up the animals' perspective on human family dinners. Choose compassion this Thanksgiving and at all your dinners:

Point of View
Thanksgiving dinner's sad and thankless,

Christmas dinner's dark and blue,

When you stop and try to see it

From the turkey's point of view.

Sunday dinner isn't funny

Easter feasts are just bad luck,

When you see it from the viewpoint

Of the chicken or the duck.

Oh, how I once loved tuna salad,

Pork and lobsters, lamb chops, too,

Till I stopped and looked at dinner

From the dinner's point of view.