Fired-Up Fridays!
Posted by RobinMc on Jan 09, 2007 · Member since Jan 2003 · 131 posts
What do you think about having a new weekly event - Fired-Up Fridays - where we each commit to make one contact per week regarding veg*an issues?
We could contact a company that still uses animal testing. We could ask what veg items are available on a menu, or suggest a menu item to be added. The possibilities go on and on!
Then we could report back here as to what we did and what we found out. What do you think??
Something else that I believe to be important is sending "thank you" letters to restaurants, companies, etc. that offer veg*n foods, beauty products, etc. I plan on sending a letter to Red Robin as they offer garden & Boca burgers in place of beef for any of their sandwiches. Very veg*n friendly!! :)
This is a GREAT approach. I went to Trader Joe's the other day inquiring after a product and was told that they don't reorder anything in the bottom 10% of their monthly sales; I was aghast. Since they're trendy enough for the mainstream, and vegetarians make up only something like 5-10% of the population, that means that most vegan products for which there are non-vegan alternatives will go the way of the dodo after a slow month. Reinforcing the positive feedback might put some brakes on the whole situation.
I love Red Robin's vegan-friendly options. It's a nice place to go with the carnivores, so long as I'm not too freaky about scrutinizing every single ingredient or thing my food might have touched. :D
As for Foggy Bottom Whitetails... well, this is how they make their money. I am sure that direct contact will do nothing; what is needed is public scrutiny. I wonder if contacting local news teams near the company and requesting a feature examining the sad state of canned hunts would be practical, or if it would get followed up? I'd hate to have "any news be good news" and backfire by simply advertising for them...
I have to admit, when there's a situation like this one that I object to, I generally contact my legislators and request that they stand against cruel practices such as canned hunting. They might not, but if they make a note of it, I am influencing the statistics they can quote about their constituency, and, so long as they are committed to representing their public, giving them the people's stance on the issue.
I e-mailed Red Robin thanking them for their veggie friendly food! Great work everyone! :)
Dave- can't figure out that link.
Hey 7,
I had not been to their website in months. I know they are still in business, but either he changed his website or decided not to use it anymore. I'll try to see what I can find out. I have to run and get to the bank before it closes in about 30 minutes, so I'll see what I can find out later ( I unfortunately have to drive past there right now as I go to the bank >:(.
dave
hey guys! if anyone is interested, this is a link to some of the top restaurant chains in the US (sorry, i haven't expanded my search yet for those of you outside US :-\) :
http://nyjobsource.com/restaurantchains.html
after checking out their menus, i have sent emails (either thanking or asking for vegetarian and vegan options on their menus) to Applebee's, Bob Evans, and Cheesecake Factory so far.
also, according to Vegetarian Resource Group, there are approximately 4.8 million vegetarians in the US. (http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2000may/2000maypoll.htm) if anyone is interested. :)
Hey, I really support everyone's ideas on this thread!
I have been lurking and doing my own thing; I emailed 4 companies either thanking/inquiring over the last week. I emailed Thomas (they make bagels and such) inquiring about animal derivitives in their products and they merely sent me coupons in response! lol, I appreciate their kind gestures, but I would prefer answers....
Anyways, I also came across this website, it's a "Walk for Farm Animals"
http://www.walkforfarmanimals.org/
This walk would bring great awareness to any city! I live in Ohio where farming is abundant, and I emailed the website to bring the walk to Columbus, Ohio.
Thanks for the inspiration!!!
I agree on the "canned hunt" thing..but then I'm a horrible person. I have never attended a bullfight and don't intend to, but I have seen them on TV (in cafes and bars where the TV runs nonstop) and I'm afraid that when the "fighter" gets gored I tend to root for the bull...ok that's irrational but it's aforegone conclusion that the poor creature is going to lose, bigtime. I have to say tho, more than one US student has attended a bullfight and come back veg*n...My DH is omni but also refuses to give bullfights houseroom, not an easy thing here in S. Spain. My downstairs neighbours are very difficult people; DH had to go down and talk to them about something that affected the entire cooperative, and he came back shaking his head. Apparently they have all kinds of bullfighting encyclopedias, posters and other paraphenalia in their apartment...his response: oh, that explains it!
Follow up on canned hunt:
I just sent an email explaining what we want to do to an attorney in Atlanta that is recommended by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. They have helped me before.
I actually had a guy, Thomas Spencer in Alpharetta GA. get convicted of the first Felony Animal abuse conviction in GA. This poor excuse for a man, beat a German Shep. puppy in front of his wife on New Years eve to a bloody pulp until the little pups eyes were bloody and swollen shut. He was sitting with a huge knife on the bed next to the puppy to torment his wife. That is how the police found him and the pup. The worst part is his wife (obviously an abused wife)...was given the dog back by the vet, and then she bailed him out of jail and let him move back in! Neighbors said the dog disappeared soon after that. They got another dog.....but..(maybe I'll get busted for this comment)...I followed them to the grocery store one day and they had the new puppy in the car with them....let's just say the dog is part of my pack ;)! I figured it would be worth going to jail for if I was ever caught taking the dog. I would do it again (take an animal away from an animal abuser). My point was that if it was a child, the child never would have been released to them if he was going to be allowed to live in the house.
I contacted them (ALDF) and we all worked with the Fulton County D.A. to make it happen. It was a horrible case...you can google his name and the town and get all the info. At first they let the guy basically walk....I, together with a local reporter, the the ALDF...then the DA.... nailed the guy. He took off to TX, but they eventually found him.
I know they can help (the ALDF).....When she (the Attorney) responds, I will post her response here.
:o How utterly shocking and horrifying!
Good for you, and I am so glad you've found a lawyer who can help-- yes, please, keep us posted! (And pet the purloined poochie... poor precious!)
(Sorry. I'm a Batman-the-TV-series fan, and the alliteration gets hold of me something fierce sometimes.)
let's just say the dog is part of my pack
[quote author=Davedrum link..(maybe I'll get busted for this comment)...I followed them to the grocery store one day and they had the new puppy in the car with them....let's just say the dog is part of my pack ;)! I figured it would be worth going to jail for if I was ever caught taking the dog. I would do it again (take an animal away from an animal abuser).
Dave, you're awesome!!! :D
Oh my god! that's so terrible!! what is wrong with some people?!? Well if there is a thing as Karma or reincarnation hopefully he will get what's coming to him sometime down the track. But you really have to feel sorry for him in a way he obviously has some major psychological problems and needs some help, as dose his wife for staying with him. But yeah need to get that poor puppy out of that environment. I'll write a letter to The Animal Rescue Site, I think it's US. While your there click and feed an animal and then go to the other tabs at the top and click for a cause
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites.woa/204/wa/gotoSite?destSite=AnimalRescueSite&origin=trstab&wosid=Xe0000zY200uI400N3&revisionCode=ON_TRS_ARS_Tab
I wrote to The Body Shop asking them to explain the meaning of 'not tested on animals' because I had been told that it was not the same as 'not tested on animals'. I'm going to write to PETA and ask them about it too. I wrote a while ago, before this link was posted and have yet to receive a reply. Maybe because I had only recently wrote to them about their labeling asking why they don't have the fair trade logo but 'Support community trade' instead. Their answer was very evasive and basically they 'have their own standards and regulations' which means to me they don't meet the fair trade regulations. But that's more Human rights than animal rights.
http://www.thebodyshop.com/bodyshop/index.jsp
While I'm at it I'm going to write to Lush and thank them for not using animal products or buying from suppliers then do. A fantastic company me thinks.
http://www.lush.com/
Also I'm going to write to NO Sweat and thank them for making no sweat(shop) products, vegan shoes and even better hemp shoes.
you can contact them on
http://www.nosweatapparel.com/index.html
Happy campaigning :)
This walk would bring great awareness to any city! I live in Ohio where farming is abundant, and I emailed the website to bring the walk to Columbus, Ohio.
I also live in Ohio!!! I live in the Akron/Canton area though. I'd loooooove to be involved in a walk - let me know what you find out!
I followed them to the grocery store one day and they had the new puppy in the car with them....let's just say the dog is part of my pack ;)! I figured it would be worth going to jail for if I was ever caught taking the dog.
Awesome!!! And the guy got convicted!! I'd love to see some pics of your lil pup...
Wow! What a blast from the past! I've haven't been around in so long, but I thought I'd come back and see what's going on.
Anyone remember our Fired Up Fridays? If not, you should look through the pots and see them. I sure do miss it. Want to bring them back??
nice
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