Circle of Compassion

still life with animated dogs

hey folks. hope you're all well. sorry i've been away so long. summers are so crazy busy in minnesota. you gotta soak up the warm weather while it's here because it doesn't last long.

at any rate, i had the pleasure of viewing this amazing piece of art the other night called "Still Life with Animated Dogs." i really wanted to share it with you. there is a lot of history behind this short film and you may want to dig in and do some research on it. i found its contents to be both brutal and beautiful. while i may not agree with everything the author says/does in this film, i found it to be a moving and brilliant piece of art. its realism is both sad and uplifting.

let me know your thoughts.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FILM (it's only 26 minutes long)

Watch Chicken Run Rescue tonight on WCCO!!!

The Twin Cities' station WCCO is doing a short feature story on Chicken Run Rescue and the flood of dumped animals and inadequate care resulting from the urban farming fad.

The story airs tonight at 10 on Ch. 4 . TUNE IN!!!!

Donate to Eastern Shore Sanctuary!

If you didn't know it already, pattrice jones, author of "Aftershock" and one of the founders of Eastern Shore Sanctuary, is soon to relocate to Minneapolis. We are so excited to have her as a part of our community! In the meantime, she is feverishly working to relocate the current sanctuary from Maryland to Vermont, as her co-founder, Miriam Jones, will be taking over. As you can imagine, this is a daunting and expensive process. If you can spare a little extra, consider a donation. Click here for more info.

Thank you for all you do for animals!!!

Pride 2009

Hey folks -

Sorry it's been so long since I've done a blog post. Summer in Minnesota is always packed with activities since you only get about 4 months of good weather. :)

Anyway, ARC was very involved in this year's gay pride parade in Minneapolis. Parade participants marched with "Go Faux" flags, a pack of beautiful dogs, and handed out suckers and stickers that said, "I fake it!" The stickers were a huge success. Here are some pics for your viewing enjoyment.

May Day follow-up

Here are just a few pics from this year's may day parade. Our flags said, "go green, go veg," and aside from the fact that we were way in the back of the parade, i'd say we were pretty successful in getting our message across. We had a number of dogs marching with us, all wearing "vegan dog" signs which, of course, made the biggest impact of all.

Thanks to all the volunteers for their help and committment to this event.

Peace.

 

   

May Day! May Day!

 

ARC is looking for volunteers to march in this year's May Day Parade and Festival. The May Day Festival is put on every year by In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theater in Powderhorn Park. It is one of the most unique and exciting events in Minneapolis! ARC's theme this year is, "Go Green. Go Veg!"

If you're not comfortable marching in the parade, then volunteer to work at ARC's informational booth, which will be set up in the park. May Day always brings a lively and interested crowd! It's a great place to get the veg message out!

This year's parade is on Sunday, May 3 at 1 p.m. Email ARC's Program Director, Dallas Rising or call her at 612 822-6161 if you'd like to help.

World Week for Animals in Laboratories

 

World Week for Animals in Laboratories
ARC Speaker Series: Undercover Investigator Michele Rokke

Sunday, April 19, 3:00 pm, ARC / Fast & Furless, 2615 E. Franklin Ave.,  Minneapolis

Michele Rokke began working as an undercover investigator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in 1994. Her first assignment was to investigate allegations of animal cruelty at a horse ranch in North Dakota. She worked undercover at numerous facilities, including the Boys Town National Research Hospital, various chicken farms, and, most notably, Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), where she spent eight months investigating animal cruelty.

Michele will speak about her experience working as an undercover investigator and the day-to-day life of animals in laboratories. She has a unique perspective based on her first-hand experience working directly with animals in labs.

This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited so come early for seating.

Death on a Factory Farm

Be sure to watch tonight's HBO documentary on factory farming.

Death on a Factory Farm
Premieres Monday, March 16 at 9pm

From the makers of HBO's 2006 documentary Dealing Dogs, this film takes a harrowing look at animal cruelty in an Ohio factory hog farm, as chronicled through undercover footage taken by "Pete," the same animal-rights investigator who appeared in the first film.

Kudos to HBO for being brave enough to expose this issue to a mass audience!

Vegan drinks!

The Animal Rights Coalition (ARC) and Fast & Furless Vegan Boutique will host "Vegan Drinks" on Saturday, March 7, 2009, from 7-9 pm, at 2615 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis. Vegan Drinks is a monthly social networking event for people interested in veganism and animal rights. Tip back a cosmopolitan, munch on some grubbin' vegan snacks, and meet other like-minded people. This event is free and open to ages 21 and up.

Vegan Drinks groups have started up all around the world. With its beginnings in New York City, Vegan Drinks' mission is to bring together a diverse group of people—from cupcake aficionados, to animal lawyers, to vegans of all stripes in between—to build new coalitions and promote the sharing of resources. The premiere Vegan Drinks event in Minneapolis on March 7, 2009, will be catered by Rhymes with Vegan creator and host, Meagan Holtgrewe. (www.rhymeswithvegan.com)

If you have a vegan-friendly business, this is a great opportunity to talk it up. Share your interests, your favorite restaurant, your dream job helping animals, your blog, or whatever unique ideas you can bring to the table. All that is expected is an interest in animal rights, veganism, and the pursuit of a little fun on a Saturday night. Remember, bring business cards to share, a bit of tip money for the bartender, and your "A" game. ARC and Fast & Furless hope to have a new event each month.

Great article!!!

Alternet has this great article out right now about the hypocrisy surrounding the "happy meat" movement. CLICK HERE to read in full. Like the author says... "it's still dead flesh!"