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Aug 14, 2009
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Geeez…I’m
TIRED!
YAWN!
I’m Hayduke!!!
I’ve been working in the RMAD office with Mike for over a
year. A LOT has gotten done! See below for a list.
Things are changing. Mike and I are moving on to new
adventures. The Board is determining RMAD’s future direction (more
below). And our electronic presence will change (yep, see below!).
I’ve had fun working for RMAD. I’ll keep involved,
helping all animals, whenever I can. You do the same!
Love,
Hayduke
PS: This is an especially looooooong eNews; feel free to take a
nap whenever you need to, but be sure to read the whole thing!!
Sustainable Living
Fair, Fort Collins
Sept 19 & 20 (Sat & Sun)
Since 2000, the mission of the Rocky Mountain Sustainable
Living Association has been to educate people and communities in the Rocky Mountain region to make healthy
sustainable choices.
Could you think of a better place to get out the word on
compassion for animals and promoting a plant-strong diet?
The Sustainable Living Fair in Fort Collins is a fantastic event that
you’ll want to check out. Why not spend most of the day exploring all
of the different booths and events, and commit two hours to staffing the
RMAD table? Besides having info on animal and vegetable topics, we hope to
be handing out some fantastic treats to the crowd.
Can you spare two hours for the animals? Please contact
Kelley ASAP to find out more about helping with our table.
kelleyk@patentlegal.com
- (970) 215-1540
See http://www.sustainablelivingassociation.org/thefair/
for more info. To repeat:
From the
Executive Director
Hello all you animal lovers,
It’s because of YOU and all of your support that RMAD has
been going for over fifteen years. As always, RMAD remains primarily a
volunteer-driven organization.
The RMAD Board is expanding; if you can spend at least a few
hours a month helping, consider Board service. Contact Ryan Andrews if you
want more information: ryana@RMAD.org.
Over a year ago, the RMAD staff at that time resigned right
when my work schedule opened up. The Board asked me to keep things going
for awhile.
That evolved into my becoming the Executive Director a few
months later. During my tenure, RMAD has had more public outreach/tabling
events then ever, the highlight being handing out hundreds of “ice
cream” treats at the first-ever Denver GreenFest.
We led or supported demos about fur, puppymills, animal abuse,
and farm animals. We published numerous eNewsletters as well as a Fifteenth
Anniversary newsletter and other publications. We hosted the first-ever
Turkey-Free Thanksgiving vegan banquet, a vegan BBQ, and a 15th
birthday party, complete with a proclamation congratulating RMAD from
Colorado’s governor.
We also hosted or supported other social events; for instance,
the numerous MeetUps for veg-friendly folks have really expanded our
circles.
We expanded the VegPledge, welcoming all people to consider
moving their diets to being more (or 100%) plant-strong. Hundreds of people
have taken the pledge.
RMAD’s financial status has also improved. We have a
decent bank balance as we move forward; please keep up this part of your
support! Our email list has nearly doubled in a year, which has helped
build our base.
RMAD’s approach to electronic outreach is changing;
expect to see blogs, a changed website, etc. We could use your input;
contact lyneez@RMAD.org if you can
help.
Of all that has happened in the past year or so, I am most
proud of two accomplishments. RMAD has reached out and reconnected to many
activists, people who work hard for the animals but had moved away from
RMAD for various reasons. We have also reached out to more
“non-traditional” animal people, people who might not be hard-core
animal rights activists or vegans, but who care a LOT about compassion and
about animals. Building relationships has at times been a challenge but has
also been very rewarding.
And of course the Prairie Bark Kennel (PBK) dog rescue was
incredible. At least three animal groups, thousands of dollars and lots of
effort came together to rescue over sixty (!!!) dogs from the incredibly
cruel puppymill industry.
RMAD keeps on going. Donna Nespoli has stepped up to the plate,
dealing with the office details. Between her and the Board, we will keep
answering the hundreds of emails and phone calls that we get each month and
doing lots of other stuff to help animals. For those of you who have worked
with Donna (quite possibly on a prairie dog relocation), you know
she’s awesome!
For me, I’m staying busy, working in both the nonprofit
and for-profit world (and playing a good bit of bridge). I had a great time
being the RMAD Executive Director and will stay involved at various levels.
I leave you with this one thought.
If/when you get discouraged with animal advocacy, remember this
one basic thing: Compassion Counts.
See ya!
Mike
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Action opportunities
Look
folks, going to a demo isn’t for
everyone. But until you try it, how do you know if you’ll like it?
It’s a great way to DEMONSTRATE your compassion, your commitment to
animals.
I went
to the NWSK demo Weds (my third time…NOTHING compared to some of these activists!). It was inspiring. Lots of honks
of support, chatting with compassion-inspired folks, AND not ONE customer
during the two-hour stint.
Get
involved! It’s low-risk and high-payoff.
To get
inspiration from the energy of direct action, go to this website (WARNING! Not directly
related to animals or vegetables!). Anyone interested in similar actions on
behalf of animals, let me know. I still get email at mikes@RMAD.org.
North Washington St Kennels (NWSK) Demo
7174 North Washington Street
This
active group is out there every week – the day changes for strategic
reasons.
The
next one is Fri, 8/21, 4 – 6 p.m.
Join
the Yahoo Group, Denver
Animal Protection, to keep in touch. Contact Pam, pamdickerson@hotmail.com.
DO IT!!!
Every
Saturday Fur Demo
Cherry Creek
Shopping Center, starts at 11:30
Stick
Up for the Animals Murdered for THEIR Fur
Contact Ann for info:
vegann@juno.com
DO IT!!! Don’t think so much about it, DO IT!!!
Create your own
demos!
There’s
nothing stopping YOU!
Take action for the
animals.
OK, this might be a bit too much text, but here’s a clip
from a recent NWSK Demo Debrief email:
“We had
a good afternoon. All of you together MADE A DIFFERENCE. We not only did
not see any puppies leave the store, we had one couple who came to buy a
puppy but changed their minds after speaking with us.
The man had
been to NWSK the evening before and had his eye on a particular Sheltie. He
and his sister returned Friday night to buy it. But, his sister noticed us
and they came across the street to ask us what we were doing. Well, it was
all over after that. They left with instructions on how to find a rescue
Sheltie either through the shelters or through the Sheltie rescue network.
They had no idea that Fortin owned two puppy mills or that the puppies in
his store most certainly did not come from "local reputable breeders."
as the store personnel told him.
They said they
had heard of puppy mills. However, they didn't quite understand how cruel
the conditions are in puppy mills or that virtually ALL pet stores get
their dogs from the mills. Now they understand. I should have enlisted them
to join us. Next time I will think better on my feet.”
Now,
doesn’t that make you want to be a part of this group, AT LEAST to
get emails like this?
Go to Denver
Animal Protection, to keep in touch.
Contact
Pam, pamdickerson@hotmail.com.
 
Foodies Section
An easy
action you can take
Do you
know of a local restaurant that might be interested in providing a
vegan meat alternative on the menu?
Gardein
is teaming with HSUS to do outreach to interested venues. Gardein's
products are now distributed through Sysco, making it easy for restaurants
to add animal-friendly foods.
Holly
Tarry, HSUS's Colorado
director, will coordinate the outreach. All she needs from you is the
restaurant name, manager’s name and manager’s email
address. Send the info to htarry@humanesociety.org
A fairly
easy action you can take
The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Sierra Club is hosting
an annual Wild Step fundraiser. Food is served afterwards.
Here is an inquiry I sent to the organizer:
Hi Katie,
I would love to participate in the Sierra Club fundraiser.
I am curious about the food offered. I am inclined to be more
supportive of environmental events where meat is not served, due to
its severe impact.
Could you let me know?
Thanks,
Mike
She replied that the menu hadn’t been finalized,
but that meat would most likely be served.
Send her a NICE email with your sentiment:
katie.case@sierraclub.org
Ex-Cop
goes Veg
Lance, a former police captain now makes music about
being vegan and animals and more. Check him out at VeganTunes.com.
From the
eMailbox
Hi, I
thought I would mention that last Saturday at Boulder's
farmers market someone at the Camp
Culinary proceeded to
boil live crayfish as a cooking demo for children and adults. If
anybody would like to voice their opinion about this they can contact manager@boulderfarmers.org or someone on the board at the boulder farmers
market. Thanks.
Websites
of interest
www.ethnicvegan.com
Living a Nightmare - Factory Farming from an
environmental view
Articles
of interest
Legitimate Animal Activism
Ensuring
vegan purity at LA restaurants
==================
"Fork: An instrument used chiefly for the purpose
of putting dead animals into the mouth.”
~Ambrose
Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
==================
Jasmine Messiah, 8, says her Florida school
doesn't offer vegan or vegetarian options for lunch. (Physicians
Committee For Responsible Medicine)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Cat News
The
Feline Fix, RMACA’s spay/neuter clinic, is the only high quality,
high volume clinic in the state devoted to providing affordable spay/neuter
services for feral and stray cats.
Traditionally
RMACA spayed or neutered approximately 3,000 feral and stray cats annually
with veterinary partners. With The Feline Fix, the goal is to double the
number of surgeries; and in doing so, humanely prevent up to 45,000
homeless kittens from being born each year.
RMACA
also offers humane traps for loan, along with instructions for safely and
effectively catching cats. The Feline Fix Ambassador Program provides TNR
(trap-neuter-return) information and education to the public. For more
information about RMACA, call 303.202.3516, or go to www.rmaca.org.
Greenwood Village coyote work continues
Hi, everyone -
It's been very quiet on the coyote front in metro Denver, likely due to
increased plant cover in which coyotes can hide, as well as the summer
heat, which makes coyotes less active during the day. So, let's use this
time to step up education efforts and get organized, as we know this issue
will flare up again in fall/winter.
1 - Coyote presentation at area REIs - please
attend tonight's presentation by me on
coyotes from 7-8:30pm at Boulder REI or tomorrow
night's presentation at Denver REI. Next week, I'll be presenting at REIs
in Lakewood and Englewood. (see list and maplinks below).
Please let me know if you can make any of these events - especially the
ones this week.
2 - We had a productive strategy meeting on August 6
at my house. One of the main items I'd like input on is what roles people
are interested in filling in our ongoing campaign. Here are the main ones:
watchdogging Greenwood Village; enlisting businesses to sign on to our
efforts to protect coyotes; monitoring the media for coyote stories;
mobilizing folks to write letters to the editor and opinion pieces to the
media; running education efforts (whether library displays or visiting
schools); data entry; metro watch (monitoring other municipalities
throughout the Denver area for coyote flare-ups); and more. Please let me
know if you are interested in helping out in any of these ways, or let me
know if you have other ideas for important ways you can participate. The
next strategy meeting will be in about two weeks (around Aug 27) - please
let me know if you'd like to host.
3 - We kicked off our Centennial coyote volunteer
effort on Saturday, but we need more people to participate. Our initial
focus will be setting up an information table at trailheads and/or walking
the trail in "Coyote Team" tshirts with information and whistles
to hand out to interested passers-by. Please let me know if you will
participate, and we can meet up (one on one or in a group) to run through the
training.
Hope you all are having a great summer!
Nicole
Nicole Rosmarino, Ph.D.
Wildlife Program Director
WildEarth Guardians
1536 Wynkoop
St., Suite 301
Denver, CO 80202
303-573-4898 (cell: 505-699-7404)
nrosmarino@wildearthguardians.org
www.wildearthguardians.org
Coyotes
in Broomfield
Residents
in Broomfield
are experiencing coyote conflicts and the city has a history of resorting
quickly to lethal control. If you are interested in helping to haze
coyotes in Broomfield
to prevent these conflicts and help keep coyotes, pets and people safe,
please contact Judy Enderle at judyenderle@earthlinknet.
Fish to
be killed…from the eMailBag
I normally am against organizations such as yours, but
people like you have a lot of pull... and even though I am an avid
fisherman, I don't believe in unnecessary cruelty to animals (catch and
release fishing, playing fish to exhaustion) but I will save that
argument for another time.
I am writing to you about
something the DOW is going to do in late october to a lake. (Click
here for the DOW plan).
Basically, what the DOW plans on doing is not relocating
these fish.... but throwing them on the shore to die, because they feel
they are a menace. whatever the reasons you may feel the
fish were put in there.... the lake trout are animals in the food
chain, the information the DOW is providing to justify killing 5000 fish
was proven false and this is straight up a travesty and
murder. I urge you to at least pass this message along to
others so that people know what's going on.
More Dog Stuff
Check
this out: www.petshoppuppies.org
A story
from June:
We just
got home late last night from a very successful Florida
greyhound haul. Thanks to Colorado Greyhound Adoption, the folks
in Colorado Springs, Almost Home for
Hounds, as well as countless others who made this rescue possible.
These 6 dogs were at risk and were saved from a Florida racetrack: Queenie, Rebel,
Lilly, Mayme, Paul, and Burke. They were transported from Florida in a hauler truck to Abilene, Kansas.
In Abilene the dogs were
given a few days to "shake down" at a local
kennel. Charmaine, her husband Bill Alexander and Judy Greenfield
then drove from Denver to Abilene
and transported the hounds back to Colorado in a rental van.
A
female brindle named "Queenie" (thanks to folks in Colorado Springs) was
dropped off in Denver to be fostered in the Colorado Greyhound Adoption
Program and the other hounds drove on and were met by Heather
Weir, Almost Home for Hounds, in Nunn,
Colorado. The haul was
very successful and we have all of you to thank for your generous donations
and kind deeds in saving these hounds. These dogs will repay us all with
their love for the rest of their lives!
Local
Activist Publishes Rescue Stories
Storybooks that Benefit Dog Rescue
Happy Tails Books publishes
breed-specific and region-specific books full of thought-provoking stories about
adopted dogs. These books raise awareness about puppy mills and neglect,
educate readers about dog adoption, and raise money for dog rescue groups
through the donation of a portion of each sale.
"Lost Souls: FOUND!
Inspirational Stories of Adopted Boston Terriers" is Happy Tails
Books' first book, and is currently available for pre-sale through http://happytailsbooks.com,
Amazon.com and select rescue groups. "Lost Souls: FOUND! Inspiring
Stories About Golden Retrievers" will be available in August.
Happy Tails Books has books
planned for many different breeds (and mixed breeds), and they invite you
to be a part of this exciting effort! Share a story about your
amazing adopted dog, or pick up a book on your favorite breed at http://happytailsbooks.com.
Please make a donation to RMAD
There is a LOT going
on with animal issues in Colorado.
It takes money to keep things going.
Click here now
You can donate safely on-line or you can print out a
form and mail it in.
Help RMAD help animals.
Please support RMAD with a donation today!
Do you
have a favorite business that wants to support RMAD?
In
return, RMAD advertises the business AND the owner gets a warm fuzzy
feeling – guaranteed!
Let
Mike know at
303-449-4422 or mikes@rmad.org.
Are you
on the RMAD Members email list?
The
Members email list provides information, news, action alerts, questions,
and topics directly related to animal rights and animal welfare issues. The
list is unmoderated…topics range from mild to WILD!
The
Members list is DIFFERENT from the one you’re on right now
(Announce). Try it out! Click
here to subscribe.
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