Animal Writings

Still Blogging...

2009-05-18T23:29:00.003-04:00

Sorry, I'm currently swamped, from the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale (WVBS), work, and life in general. Once the WVBS is in the "off season," I'll have more frequent blog posts.

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale (Continued)

2009-05-08T10:53:00.003-04:00

The first place with a worldwide audience in which I announced the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale (WVBS) was the The Post Punk Kitchen Forum. The folks there have been amazing. Something like six bake sales have formed just from discussions on the PPK forum. In addition, some posters there have also talked about the WVBS on their blogs and in other venues, which in turn may have inspired other bake sales... It would not be much of a stretch to say that the PPK has been crucial in the success of the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale.

I'll have a bunch more shut-outs both here on the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale web site

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale (Continued)

2009-05-03T08:58:00.004-04:00

A good friend at Cats Rule! Feline Rescue gave me some tips on how to get rid of the "sprinkles" on the logo. So I did that, which improved the look substantially. I also added the date to the logo, so the date of the event would be on every page. I wrote a quick signup form and put some links to recipes and bake sale "how-to" pages on the site. Now the site was at least looking halfway real.

I contacted my friend, radio host, fellow vegan, and fellow rabbit adopter Louie Free and told him about the project. Louie has been fantastic. He generously scheduled a show in which he would interview both me and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, founder of Compassionate Cooks, author of The Joy of Vegan Baking (and more recently The Vegan Table), teacher of vegan cooking classes, and creator of some truly eloquent and educational podcasts.

Can I give a huge shout-out to both these people? Louie hosts his "Brain Food from the Heartland" radio show every weekday out of Youngstown, Ohio to a general audience. He has an extensive variety of guests. He promotes vegan products and local vegan businesses. He has gone to great lengths to help rabbits in dire straits.

Colleen is an amazing voice for animals and compassion to "all who live." Her podcasts are riveting. Not to mention thoroughly researched. Her recipes are scrumptious. Her writings and public speaking appearances are filled with passion, inspiration, and joy.

As I was to find out—and am still finding out—support from fellow animal advocates is amazing and uplifting. I am deeply and forever appreciative.

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale (Continued)

2009-04-26T18:41:00.006-04:00

For the web site, I had this idea of a home page with a world map and all sorts of fun icons dotting the page to represent different parts of the world. That proved to be a) too much trouble and b) too crowded. So I just put up a simple map of the world.

We needed a logo. A chocolate chip cookie is the same shape as the world (on a two-dimensional surface), so it practically designed itself. With my almost total lack of knowledge of Photoshop, I created a simple header with the logo, a title, and some green and blue (earthy!) background. It looked el cheapo and garagey; the edges of the letters looked like they were covered in sprinkles.

I made a main menu—none of the menu picks linked to anything. I threw up the first words that came to mind on the home page. I didn't even have the dates of the event at first. Oops.

With this bare bones web site I started sending out emails. Of course my plan was to improve the site as we went along, but for the moment I just wanted to send out a few emails and see what kind of feedback we got.

Our intention was (and still is) to contact all kinds of organizations, but we figured the "core" group would be grassroots animal protection and vegan advocacy groups. Since there's no handy site that lists all of these groups, with links to main email contacts—and is current—I just started using GoodSearch and links to see where I ended up. I started drifting across the net, finding groups and either sending them emails or filling out the contact page.

One of the first groups I contacted was the Toronto Vegetarian Society. Shortly thereafter I got a reply from them: They mentioned the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale on their podcast. Yay! We were on our way! And also, I now present the Toronto Vegetarian Society with a Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale Official Certificate of Appreciation and Awesomeness.

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale (Continued)

2009-04-21T09:01:00.003-04:00

We (Compassion for Animals) decided that "The Great American Vegan Bake Sale" or "The Great North American Vegan Bake Sale" sounded too much like "The Great American Bake Sale," which already existed, and besides, we didn't want to risk getting in trouble for imitating a trademarked name. Someone suggested renaming the event to "The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale." We liked it. Not only was that name more expansive and more inclusive, but it was a more accurate description of what we were trying to do: The more we had talked about this project, the more we decided that we didn't want to leave anyone out.

We considered the possibility of a participating group using the proceeds of its bake sale for something that involved animal cruelty or that was otherwise at cross-purposes with veganism. We decided we would take that risk for now. On the off chance that a group participated in the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale and used the proceeds from their bake sale for say, canned hunting, we figured a) the group would probably have raised that money some other way anyway, b) exposure to—not to mention promotion of—vegan baking and maybe veganism in general is a positive thing, c) the chances of this scenario were small but if it arose we could consider a change in policy.

When to hold the event? We figured we needed a few months to get ready and to give ample notice to prospective participants. It was late November...sometime in the summer sounded about right. We did a quick online check of animal rights and animal protection conferences to make sure there was no clash; our presumption was that groups attending these conferences were also likely participants in the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. Someone mentioned that in the U.S., around the Fourth of July people start thinking about pies. That holiday was going to be on a weekend in 2009, so we decided on the weekend before: June 27th and 28th.

We would discover about three months later that we made a couple of major blunders when coming up with that date. But for the moment, we had a name, a date, and general policies. Now we had to actually implement the project. We had our work cut out for us. We had to find possible participants and notify them. We had to build a web site. We had to promote the concept. Each of these activities partly depended on the other—so we sort of had to start on them all at once.

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale

2009-04-13T12:07:00.004-04:00

As I was perusing the Net for bake sale tips for our bake sale last November, I came across The Great American Bake Sale, which raises funds for Share Our Strength, a program that feeds underprivileged children. This was not an "aha" moment or anything. But I liked the idea of bake sales across the country, and the cause seemed good (granted, it's not vegan, and the main sponsor seems to be sugar companies, which raises some red flags, but still it seems like a worthy cause).

Our bake sale worked out great, even though we realized several areas in which we could improve. We were pleased enough to want to do more of them. It was gratifying to see one person after another—almost all non-vegans—buy vegan chocolate cheesecake (from The Joy of Vegan Baking), cookies, pumpkin bread, cake slices, and other vegan delectables, and go "Yum, this is delicious!"

It was also a fun event to prepare for and hold, compared to protests, lobbying, and other "standard" advocacy activities.

I guess a few days after the bake sale I was thinking, "What about the Great American Vegan Bake Sale? Vegan bake sales all across the U.S. and Canada, to promote veganism in a fun, approachable way!" I thought, "What if they were all on the same weekend? We might be able to get some mainstream media to cover the event, and I bet the press would be positive, plus all participants would feel some connection with their fellow vegan bake salers who were holding bake sales the same weekend."

Where would the proceeds for this event go? I wasn't sure. Then I figured, "Why not let participants do whatever they want with the proceeds? That way, there's no central payment or collection infrastructure that has to be set up, and we may increase the pool of possible participants, since there are bound to be would-be participants that wouldn't like whatever charities we would pick. In fact, by letting participants choose their own destination for the proceeds, we may attract groups that have nothing to do with veganism, such as church groups and scout troops."

One possible downside of letting a group do whatever it wants with the money from its vegan bake sale is that the money may go to something with which I don't agree. (More on that later.)

Was this a project we could pull off? We'd have to notify people well in advance to get them thinking about it. We'd need a web site that listed all the bake sale locations, had a signup form, had tips, news, generated some hoopla, the whole nine yards. Still, it seemed doable, and you know the Margaret Mead quote about how a small group of people can change the world. I figured, if that's possible, then surely we should be able to implement a network of bake sales.

I ran the idea by my distinguished Compassion for Animals cohorts. They enthusiastically liked it, and made some major improvements to the concept. (We also discussed the risk of a participant using the bake sale proceeds for something to which we were opposed, and came to an agreement about that...)

More to follow...

Starting a New Group: Compassion for Animals, Continued

2009-04-11T00:54:00.003-04:00

At first we thought we'd just continue the activities we'd always done as independents: tabling, leafleting, attending and/or organizing anti-fur and anti-circus demos, and so forth. And that's still the bulk of what we're doing. But we found that having this new group (with a logo and everything!) invigorated our thinking a bit. We've come up with some out-of-the-ordinary spins on animal advocacy events, though most of them are still in our heads, or maybe jotted down on a list.

One thing we did do that was new for us was hold a vegan bake sale. I forget who mentioned the idea, but I heartily seconded it. I liked the combination of vegan outreach and the all-American aspect of it. I did some online searching for tips on bake sales, such as how much to price items, what to offer, and so forth. And this led to something much bigger...

Starting a New Group: Compassion for Animals, Continued

2009-04-07T11:25:00.006-04:00

Every group needs a logo, right? Deciding what it should look like was even tougher than coming up with a name. We agreed on some general principles. We wanted to convey human compassion, since our outreach was to humans. There are lots of logos out there already with pawprints, so we decided to have a representation of a whole animal. On the advisement of people who know a lot more about graphics than me, we knew that we had to keep the logo uncomplicated. We also realized that it was impossible to express everything we were about in one simple graphic.

A friend of mine who's an excellent professional graphics designer came up with some drafts, which helped us refine our ideas. We then turned to another friend and fellow animal rights advocate who also does professional graphics and who is a member of the Humane League of Baltimore (an exceptional grassroots animal advocacy group); she produced additional drafts, based on the first set and our comments (which I'm sure were annoyingly vague and probably filled with contradictions). We're converging on something like this:

The above rendition is based on a proof sheet, so it's a bit rough, and we're still playing with different color combinations, but this is likely very close to our final logo. We'll also have a version of the logo where the name of the group is on one line, which will fit better in short but wide spaces such as the top of our web site pages.

I like the use of a chick as the symbol for all animals. A baby chick is full of life and wonder, and nearly everyone who sees a chick feels some tenderness and empathy for this creature, yet chickens are the most abused animals on the planet. A single chick is so small, yet is a complete and complex individual who experiences the world, and who may thrive or suffer based on our actions. I'm reminded of the William Blake poem:

To see a world in a grain of sand
And heaven in a wild flower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.

Starting a New Group: Compassion for Animals, Continued

2009-04-03T22:02:00.003-04:00

Every new group needs a web site. Somehow, even though our group is a few months old, our web site, www.compassion4animals.org is about 90 percent incomplete. ::embarrassment:: We'll get there. We have some great ideas...

We do have a nice feature on the home page: When you click on an image of an animal in the masthead, it blows up into two side-by-side photos. One photo shows the rich and meaningful life of the animal in the wild or in a loving sanctuary or home (if appropriate); the other photo shows the misery, deprivation, or violent death experienced by the animal when ruthlessly exploited. The photos represent the contrast between kindness and cruelty (on the part of humans); between the result of respect and empathy and the result of callous, selfish indifference.

We're indebted to some excellent photographers, including Deb Durant of Invisible Voices and Derek Goodwin, and to groups such as Farm Sanctuary, Save the Chimps, and Dogs Deserve Better. Looking for pictures gave me a chance to peruse the sites of so many caring, determined animal advocacy organizations. It is really heartening to know that there is such a profundity of groups working tirelessly to bring relief to animals from human-caused injustices, and to educate people on the profound suffering they cause animals every day and how they can quite easily stop that.

Starting a New Group: Compassion for Animals

2009-04-02T08:01:00.005-04:00

Recently a small cadre of independent DC-area animal activists, including me, decided to be a little less independent and form our own group. For the past few years (or more, depending on the individual), each of us has leafleted, tabled, protested, written letters, and done other types of advocacy on behalf of animals, who suffer severely at the hands of humans, who are mass-slaughtered in numbers almost too vast to comprehend, and who—unlike other victims of human exploitation—cannot organize marches or author letters to the editor on their own; we are their voices.

To be honest, our decision to band together was not based on an epiphany or a radical new idea in animal advocacy. We figured as long as we're purchasing leaflets, tables, tents, carrying cases, and other activism supplies, we may as well get a tax break and form an official tax-exempt, charitable organization.

What to call it? That was one of the first big challenges. Do we focus on rights? Cruelty? Suffering? Peace? Veganism? We cover all those issues in our outreach. Also—what names haven't been taken? There are only so many combinations of keywords.

After considering a couple hundred names, we decided on Compassion for Animals. Our general thinking was that we eventually want a world in which all sentient beings are treated with respect and kindness, and in which our actions and attitudes toward living beings regardless of species are guided by compassion. If that happens, I think we all will be in good shape.

More in the next post...

Dogs and Their Names

2009-03-31T10:44:00.005-04:00

My boss is starting a web site about dog names. She asked if I could find or write a short quote or verse about dogs and their names. Sort of a counterpart to T.S. Eliot's famous poem about cats and their names, which ends:

But above and beyond there's still one name left over...
The name you will never guess.
The name that no human research can discover,
But the cat himself knows and will never confess.

Not that I could ever come up with anything that exquisite.

A short search turned up nothing we liked. So I wrote my own poem. It's way too long for what my boss was looking for, so it's here instead. With many apologies to Dr. Suess.

Big dogs, little dogs, brown dogs, tan dogs,
Black dogs, white dogs, spotted dogs and two-tone dogs,

Fuzzy dogs, smooth dogs, lap dogs and leaping dogs,
Fast dogs, slow dogs, digging dogs and frisbee dogs,

Dogs who like car rides, dogs who sing,
Dogs who watch TV, and most everything

Dogs who sniff trees, dogs who sniff knees,
Dogs whose noses like to take in the breeze

Dogs who kick and bark when they sleep,
Dogs who hardly ever make a peep,

Dogs who dress up on the Fourth of July,
Dogs whose response to clothes is "Not I"

Dogs who are social, dogs who are shy,
Dogs who are straightforward, dogs who are sly

Dogs who lead packs, dogs who stay back,
Dogs who conspire to acquire some snacks

Dogs who showed up one day at your door,
Dogs in the shelter whose eyes you adored,

Dogs who brighten your days and your nights
Dogs who magically make things all right

Each dog's unique, no two are the same,
But every dog deserves a great name.

Lack of Empathy Causes People to Misinterpret and Punish Animals' Reasonable Actions

2009-03-28T02:32:00.006-04:00

A friend was talking about his annual fishing trip in Alaska. He said he went to a popular stream; there were anglers everywhere catching salmon. He told me that he carried a gun to guard against grizzlies. Not that he's gun-happy; I want to be fair. Now he carries some sort of pepper spray as his preferred weapon against bears. He mentioned a couple of incidents in which he tried to thwart a bear who wanted to fish in his favorite spot without resorting to shooting him, but the bear in the end was more determined to fish. My friend was clearly miffed that bears got in the way of his fishing. Also, his general attitude was that grizzlies are mean, dangerous nuisances.

Notwithstanding my opposition to fishing in general, here's how I saw it... I considered the situation from the bear's point of view. The bear has to fish. He's not doing it for "fun." Salmon are an important part of the bear's diet. Here's this great stream, where he can get a good meal. It's lined with people blocking his way and taking his food. Of course he's going to get perturbed. Of course he's going to be determined to get to the stream. Of course it's only a matter of time before he'll use force so he can get to his food.

The conversation was cut short, so I wasn't able to ask my friend, "Why not leave the stream to the grzzlies? Why not watch these magnificent animals catch their food? Why not get pleasure from knowing that you're not interfering with or frustrating the beings who most need the salmon?"

Interspecies Friendships: Part 28

2009-03-22T14:30:00.004-04:00

In this beautiful photoessay of peaceful coexistence between grizzlies and humans, the two species not only display curiosity and comfort with the other, but a grizzly mama trusts friendly humans enough to leave her cubs with them while she forages and/or hunts for food. Not too many people have been appointed as grizzly cub babysitters!

The author points out that the grizzles in the photos are not hunted by humans, and that their encounters with humans have all been peaceful, therefore they have no reason to be overly defensive around humans. They fish, rest, and nurse and play with their cubs just a few yards from humans—who, as you can see in the photos, are quite relaxed themselves.

I'm not prepared to say you can totally let down your guard around grizzlies as long as you and they are in a protected area. Any living being can be unpredictable, and grizzlies have such enormous strength that even the briefest episode of aggression could be fatal for the target or innocent bystander in the way of that aggression.

But it is worth pondering what our relationship to wildlife would be if we always treated them with kindness and respect. Many of us know that compassionate attitudes and behaviors can make a world of difference in how animals react to us. How many times have I seen or heard about a "mean" or "vicious" animal, only to find out that the animal was reacting to meanness thrust upon him by humans, or was in constant pain or fear? We might act the same way under those conditions. With animals as with humans, kindness and loving care often turns these "mean" animals into the most loving individuals you can imagine.

Some theorize that after thousands of years of being hunted, shot at, poisoned, trapped, harassed, bludgeoned, and otherwise killed, maimed, and injured by humans, wild animals have evolved to fear and distrust humans. If that is so, I wonder if that could be reversed if we were always respectful and kind to them. They have good reason to be fearful and distrustful of us—look how we've treated them. But as we know from our own experiences, when others treat you with kindness, you are much more apt to reciprocate. Of course, some species are loners, and there is a whole range of sociability in animals. But on the other hand, there are countless examples of individuals from a multitude of species who develop deep and lifelong friendships with humans.

Generally speaking, we decide what type of world we want: One based on violence and mutual mistrust, or one based on compassion and respect. Your and my actions each day help determine in which direction the world will go.

Interspecies Friendships: Part 27

2009-03-18T20:49:00.003-04:00

Going for a ride

I can pretty much guarantee you'll love this dog. Where the chicks and bunny came from, I don't know, and very possibly don't want to know. The bunny and dog look related.

Interspecies Friendships: Part 26

2009-03-14T11:54:00.003-04:00

Deep friendship between a cat and a bear

This article reminds us that the capacity for lasting, close friendship extends far and wide.

In addition to the litany of other cruelties and hardships forced upon animals by exploitative enterprises such as the meat, dairy, and egg industries and the fur trade, these institutions also destroy—and prevent—friendships that can bring immense joy and meaning to animals' lives.

And don't think for a minute that individuals from a multitude of species—perhaps many know than we know about—don't feel grief. There are countless examples of animals experiencing grief that is so overpowering, so consuming, that it leaves them in a prolonged state of shock, with little will to live, and sometimes even kills them.

Meat-eaters, hunters, and anglers take note: When we kill or injure an animal, we may be killing or injuring another animal's best friend.

Interspecies Friendships: Part 25

2009-03-09T21:58:00.003-04:00

Snake and Hamster are Friends

One of the things I like about this charming video is that it shows outward extensions of friendly vibes by the snake. You can sense both animals' pleasure from having each other as friends. So what if they're a little different?

Interspecies Friendships: Part 24

2009-03-07T15:34:00.002-05:00

Great Dane Makes a Deer Friend

Wonderful story and heartwarming photo.

Interspecies Friendships: Part 23

2009-03-04T19:58:00.004-05:00

Enjoy this Video of a dog and sheep playing together.

Many dynamics occur in play:

Two-way communications. Each participant conveys his or her intentions to the other, and also reads the others' intentions.

Civility. Although play can sometimes get out of hand, most of the time each party "plays by the rules." Claws are retracted, bites are superficial, swats and head-butts are toned down. It is not a stretch to say that each player respects the interests of the other.

Creativity. Animals at play try different techniques to spice up the game or outsmart their opponent.

Awareness of self and other. The interplay and real-time adjustments made by each participant, as well as styles that evolve over time with various playmates, reflect that the participants recognize individuals, the individuals' preferences and limitations, and what can and should not be done with those individuals. Granted, this knowledge is not always perfect; accidents and "foul play" happen. But those imperfections are certainly not unique to nonhumans.

Joy and fun. Just watch—it's infectious.

There's a lot going on in play. How marvelous that individuals from different species can understand each other enough to get enjoyment from joint playing. What a wonderful way of communicating. Can we ever say we truly know individual animals if we have never engaged in play with them?

Interspecies Friendships: Part 22

2009-03-02T23:41:00.002-05:00

Had a rough day? Watch this.

And can we just retire that phrase, "fighting like dogs and cats?"

Interspecies Friendships: Part 21

2009-02-27T23:13:00.002-05:00

Dog, Cat, and Rat

This is a lovely trio. No, make that quartet—the affable human is very much a part of the group.

Totally Frivolous Post

2009-02-25T22:02:00.001-05:00

I don't why this makes me laugh so much:

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/funny-pictures-cat-brings-you-a-bribe1.jpg

One Definition of Friendship

2009-02-23T00:09:00.003-05:00

Tonight, as on many other nights, our companion rabbit Fiona hopped across the hall from her "bedroom" to the TV room. She jumped onto the couch, we had our usual mutual grooming, she tossed some toys onto the floor, and then she settled in, flopping on the couch between my wife and me. For the next couple of hours we basically all hung out together; my wife and I lazily watching TV, answering emails, and reading; Fiona relaxing and sometimes doing some light washing. Eventually we all dozed off.

Fiona could have gone back to her room, where she had her water bowl, fleece pad, and lots of fresh hay. But she decided to stay with us. When we're not in the TV room she rarely goes on the couch. She just likes the company—and so do we!

So it was just the three of us doing basically nothing together, and enjoying it immensely because we were with each other—one of the truest signs of friendship.

You Don't Need to be a Genius to be Happy or Sad

2009-02-19T23:16:00.005-05:00

I was watching a baseball game on TV last year. I think it was game five of the National League Championship Series, in which the Philadelphia Phillies advanced to the World Series, but I'm not sure. As soon as the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies' opponent, made the last out, which meant that Philadelphia was the league champion and would go on to the World series, it was mayhem.

You know the scene: The catcher sprints out to the pitcher and jumps in his arms. The outfielders come running in, half leaping, fists pumping the air. The dugout empties out and pours onto the field. Everyone piles on, whoopin' and hollerin'. Players hug each other and kiss their wives. The fans go crazy; some rush the field.

In the clubhouse, players uncork champagne and pour it over their teammates and the coaches. Some are laughing, some are crying.

It's pure, unbridled joy.

I got to thinking afterward...Many of our most treasured moments have nothing to do with logic or analytical thinking. They're pure emotion. Sometimes intense emotion. That's something deep and defining that we share with nonhumans.

Being with friends and loved ones. Feeling the warm sun on a summer afternoon. So-called "little things" like walking the dog around the block, or playing with our kids.

When we lose someone close to us, we may grieve deeply. Often so do animals; there are countless stories of animals who become despondent and profoundly depressed after losing a long-time companion. It is beccoming well-known in veterinary circles that animals may be very emotional and sometimes even require antidepressants.

Whether one can understand quadratic equations or design bridges has no bearing on their capacity to feel pain and joy, fear and elation, sadness and happiness, or the bonds of friendship and love. We've shared these traits with animals for millions of year. It's part of life. Part of our animalhood. Something to celebrate. It's one of the glorious ways in which humans and nonhumans are similar. It may be one of the bases that lets individuals from different species form relationships with one another, enjoy each others' company, and grow attached to each other and miss each other.

Thought for the Day

2009-02-17T01:09:00.002-05:00

"It’s illustrative to watch how the attributes we have proclaimed make us unique, such as using tools, making art, experiencing 'higher' emotions, having a sense of the ludicrous, using language, and so forth, have all collapsed under the evidence as we get to know animals better. Of course, we have certain unique attributes and abilities. Every species has certain unique attributes and abilities. Eating animals makes us so subconsciously nervous that we neurotically overemphasize our uniqueness and our separateness from them. This allows us to exclude them from our circle of concern."

-- Dr. Will Tuttle, author of The World Peace Diet

Carnival Against Vivisection: A Glimmer of Hope

2009-02-13T13:17:00.013-05:00

Here are two anecdotes from friends of mine who have worked in medical research laboratories, mostly on NIH-funded projects, for years...

"Roger" had worked on studies with and without animals. He took pains to be gentle to the animals, even to insects and worms. Even those creatures have tasks they seem to want to accomplish, and perhaps even with their relatively primitive systems they have the ability to sense not only pain but well-being. After a period of ambivalence, he told his boss that he could no longer experiment on animals. Now he does only non-animal research, and is almost totally vegan.

"Laurie" has also worked in medical research for a long time, and indicated to her supervisors quite a while back that she will not do any research that harms animals. She became an ethical vegan mid-way into her scientific career. She contends that the only thing standing in the way of total non-animal research in medical labs is the will to make that conversion.

Not too long ago, in the company cafeteria, Laurie noticed that another employee consistently brought vegan lunches. She eventually asked him, "Are you vegetarian?" He said yes. They both agreed it was a healthy diet. Then they moved onto the environment. Yep, good environmental choice, too. Eventually one asked the other — in hushed tones and after looking around, it seems like — "Are you vegan?" They both said "yes." And they moved on to ethical bases for veganism, which they agreed on.

As Laurie explains, in their corporate culture there is still very much an institutionalized bias against caring about non-companion animals, lab animals in particular. After all, a big chunk of their government grant money is for harming and killing animals. One of the defense and distancing mechanisms people use to harm others is to resist caring about their victims or acknowledging their suffering and interests, and that often carries over into wanting others to not bring up those unpleasant realities either, and even stifling others' compassionate impulses toward the victims. Hence the hush-hush when the two employees tried to find out if the other was vegan.

Laurie thinks that there may be sufficient interest among her fellow lab employees in forming an informal vegan group. Granted, it's a large facility, but still that's pretty cool.

Maybe, slowly but surely, all the leafleting, protests, cupcake activism, letters to the editor, great new vegan products, and all sorts of other advocacy aimed at the abolition of animal exploitation and the promotion of peace to all sentient beings is permeating the thick walls of the vivisection lab. The old guard is still in force, as is the scandalously weak animal protection laws, lack of enforcement, enormous inertia to use animal models even when superior non-animal alternatives are available, and so forth. But on the other hand, perhaps conscientious scientists are starting to question self-protective rationalizations that perpetuate animal exploitation. Perhaps they're beginning to feel emboldened enough to state their objections to animal research. If that's the case, those fresh and welcome attitudes could be one of the driving forces behind a new era in medical research, in which disease and preventive health are studied holistically and ethically and with more predictive value and scientific relevance and rigor than ever.