Animal Advocates Watchdog

Serving meat at benefits for animal welfare groups

Serving meat at benefits for animal welfare groups
http://www.bestfriends.org/archives/forums/events.html#twelve

(We received several comments from members about animal groups serving meat at a fundraiser. Below is a sample.)
Comment from Celeste:
Many dog lovers also care about animals of all sorts. That's why many, many "animal people" refuse to attend events that serve animals as part of the menu.

They may not make an announcement to this effect, so you'll never know how many people WOULD have attended, until your next event is vegetarian! :)

Our parent organization, Pet Over-Population Prevention Advocates (POPPA), Inc. recently decided to hold vegetarian events only and the response from the community has been one of relief. Many people then shared with us that they'd wanted to come to our events, but didn't want to sanction the unnecessary use and sale of animals as commodities.

Hope you enjoy similar response when your group takes the meat off the menu, as well!
Comment from Kim:
I have to say that rescue groups shouldn't serve other animals at fundraising events. If we have compassion for cats and dogs, our efforts to alleviate suffering must extend to all animals.
Comment from Jeannette:
I won't have anything to do with my local SPCA events because they can't see how wrong it is to cook and serve up one animal to raise funds to save another. They actually get angry when you bring it up and will not even discuss the possibilities of a vegetarian event or even offering a choice for those who are vegetarian. Not to mention they insist on exploiting animals with pony rides and petting zoos and putting the animals through all kinds of things. Everything they do is geared toward making the animals jump through hoops in one way or another... and the time of year is the peak of summer!

Sorry for ranting, but this is really a sore subject with me. Anyway, I almost choked when I read the message about the barbecue and didn't see anything in the response to at least try to encourage a vegetarian event. My personal thanks for saying this.
Comment from Elaine in FL:
I get so upset when animal rescue people put on events that serve meat. It is such a hypocritical thing to do. Rescue one and eat the other? Dogs and cats are the only animals that deserve humane treatment? I wish that the person taking questions could have pointed out the fact that serving meat at animal-related functions sends the wrong message to the public and that we "animal lovers" need to be especially aware of this fact. We should be setting the example that ALL animals deserve humane treatment and that the destruction of ANY animal for the sake of a tasty morsel to please our pallets is not acceptable.

Get with the program, people! I just hate it when animal groups are so insensitive to the way in which farmed animals are abused and exploited but yet they are so concerned with the welfare of companion animals. Don't they realize that those pigs, cows and chickens have the same capacity for pain and suffering as their precious pups and kitties? HELLO!
Comment from Shari in NJ:
I'm surprised that Best Friends would condone serving meat at a BBQ fundraiser. Michelle should have suggested the person contact companies such as Boca, GardenBurger, Morningstar Farms and Smart Dogs to request donations of cruelty-free food for this event. How can we claim to be animal lovers if we discriminate whom we eat and whom we don't?
Comment from Bonney Brown, Director of No More Homeless Pets at
Best Friends:
If you're on the board or staff of a local humane group, or plan events or meetings for your organization, we recommend that you take a look at a short booklet called "Food For Thought: Promoting the adoption of vegetarian policies for SPCA and humane society sponsored events."

It's produced by Animal Place, an animal sanctuary in Vacaville, California. You can request a copy from them by calling 707-449-4814, or by e-mailing info@AnimalPlace.org. It's a worthwhile read.
Comment from Faith Maloney, Director of Animal Care at Best Friends:
Sometimes people contact us to ask about our policies regarding the food that we serve here at Best Friends.

Like religion, we feel what people choose to eat is a personal matter. Our staff is not pressured to be vegetarian and they are at liberty to bring a bagged lunch or run into town for their meal. However, we made a decision at the beginning of Best Friends that we would only serve vegetarian food at our cafeteria, and at any events that we are involved with.

It was an easy decision as many of the founders of Best Friends have chosen a vegetarian lifestyle after working with animals of all kinds for many years. And it really isn't that big a deal. Many families who eat meat will enjoy a meal of mac and cheese or spaghetti marinara at home. We serve a varied and interesting menu for our lunches and receive many compliments and requests for the recipes.

When it comes to fundraisers and promotional events, serving vegetarian food helps reduce conflicts and potential criticism from people who have strong feelings about this issue. People do not attend animal events for the food. They come to help the animals. For many of our events, caterers from some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City have donated their services and people are bowled over by the food.

Messages In This Thread

In a good-humored jab at meat-eaters, comedian Kevin Nealon discusses the cruelty involved *LINK*
If you still eat chicken, maybe you won't after you watch Pamela Anderson's video *LINK*
"Hogwashing"- the practice of generating the public appearance of having compassion for animals while continuing to kill millions of them for profit *LINK*
Serving meat at benefits for animal welfare groups

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