IDA - Bay Area Events

IDA EVENTS
1. Gopher Gardening at Ocean Beach
2. Benefit Concert for IDA
3. New Doc "Dark Water Rising" Illuminates Katrina Rescue Efforts
4. SFVS & IDA Co-Present World Vegetarian Day in San Francisco
OTHER BAY AREA EVENTS TO HELP ANIMALS
1. KQED Airs Mad Cowboy Documentary
2. Compassionate Cooks' August Cooking Class: "Hearty Italian Cuisine + Taste Test"
3. Vigil for Animals Continues at UCSF
4. Protest Ringling Bros. Circus in Oakland and San Jose
5. Theater Benefit for Romanian Animal Rescue
6. Teen Puppy Killer Faces Felony Animal Abuse Charges


IDA EVENTS

1. Gopher Gardening at Ocean Beach

Join the San Francisco Wildlife Protection Project, an effort by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department to create a wildlife "sanctuary" along the Great Highway. By landscaping the area according to the Parks Department's specifications, volunteers create a habitat for native gophers and prevent them from being trapped and killed. This is an ongoing monthly effort, and usually takes place on the first Saturday of each month.

What: Gopher Gardening
When: Saturday, August 5th, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Where: Corner of the Great Highway and Wawona Street, San Francisco, at the small brick Recreation and Park maintenance building. Click http://tinyurl.com/4hnh2 for directions to this event.

For more information, please contact Melissa Gonzalez at melissa [at] idausa.org or (415) 388-9641, ext. 228.


2. Benefit Concert for IDA

As part of the Oakland New Music Festival, flutist and composer Carol Alban will play a benefit concert to support IDA's campaigns benefiting animals. A classically trained musician, Alban began playing piano and flute at the age of nine, and studied under many accomplished classical musicians while earning her degree at San Francisco State University. She has played flute on a variety of CDs and recorded three albums featuring her own compositions. Visit http://www.myspace.com/carolalban to hear some of her music, then join us at her live performance.

What: IDA benefit concert featuring Carol Alban
When: Sunday, August, 27th at 3:00 p.m.
Where: The Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland (get directions - http://tinyurl.com/ja3a3 )

Vegan snacks from Trader Joe's ( http://www.traderjoes.com ) and cookies from Sun Flour Baking Company ( http://www.sunflourbaking.com ) will be served. The price of tickets is a suggested donation, the amount being up to you. Please attend and donate generously to support IDA's programs for animals.


3. New Doc "Dark Water Rising" Illuminates Katrina Rescue Efforts

As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches on August 29th, award-winning filmmaker Mike Shiley (Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories) is screening his new documentary Dark Water Rising: The Truth About Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescues ( http://www.darkwaterrising.com ) in dozens of cities across the country. IDA is sponsoring the 75-minute movie nationally, beginning with coast-to-coast test screenings in twelve U.S. cities (including two in the Bay Area) as part of our Guardian Campaign.

The film portrays many aspects of what being a guardian means, both for individuals and society at large, emphasizing just how important and irreplaceable each animal's life is. From the individuals who left animals tied to trees in their backyards like mere disposable property, to the government officials who refused evacuees the right to bring their animal companions when evacuating, to the heroes who risked their lives saving the thousands of dogs and cats stranded in the disaster-stricken city, at the film's heart is the message that animals need to be respected as the sentient creatures they are. By adopting guardian language and treating animals as companions, not property, our society will begin to make progress in bettering its treatment of animals. Local showings will be fundraisers for area animal shelters.

Dark Water Rising is the story of the tens of thousands of animals who were left behind in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in U.S. history, and the courageous people who set out to rescue survivors against all odds. Many guardians were forced to leave their animal companions behind to die because Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rescuers would not allow animals in transport vehicles or emergency shelters. Floodwaters trapped at least 40,000 animals in their houses for months, where many died from starvation. Humane volunteers from around the country came to rescue animals in Katrina's wake, braving toxic floodwaters and breaking down doors to save animals' lives. IDA-Project Hope was on the front lines of this historic effort, and coordinated with many groups to rescue, shelter, feed and transport animals.

The film documents the heroic rescuers' efforts, showing both the tragic and heartwarming sides of animal rescue. For every animal who was reunited with a guardian or adopted into a new family, many more starved or died from illness. Shiley exposes the fatal shortcomings of the federal response to Katrina in hopes of raising public awareness about the need for comprehensive animal evacuation plans in preparation for large-scale disasters. This is especially relevant now that the House of Representatives passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act and the Senate is about to vote on it. If the PETS Act passes, local and state authorities will be required to provide for the needs of animal companions and their guardians during disasters to be eligible for FEMA grants.

What You Can Do:

- Watch the trailer for Dark Water Rising: The Truth About Hurricane Katrina Rescues ( http://www.darkwaterrising.com/trailer.html )

- See the film when it screens in the Bay Area:

1) Roxie Theater: Monday, August 28th at 6:30, 8:00, and 9:30 p.m. $8.50 admission (click http://www.roxie.com/directions.cfm for directions)
2) San Rafael Film Center: Thursday, September 7th at 7:00 p.m. $10 suggested donation (click http://cafilm.org/nav1_1.html for directions)

Film Director Mike Shiley will make a personal appearance to introduce the film and answer questions after each screening, and IDA will be tabling at the showings.

- IDA and Mike Shiley are looking for animal protection organizations and individuals who would like to screen the film in their communities. If you would like to screen the film in your area to benefit the local humane society, please contact Mike Shiley at shidog1 [at] hotmail.com.

- Order a DVD of Dark Water Rising ( http://www.filmbaby.com/product_info.php?products_id=997 ). Please type "IDA member" in the message area of the order form, as $5.00 will be donated to IDA for each DVD purchased by our supporters.

- Urge your Senators to pass the PETS Act to protect animal companions in the next disaster ( http://ga0.org/campaign/PETSACT_clone ). Please also contact your elected officials by phone. Get your elected officials' contact information. ( http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/leg-lookup/search.tcl )

- Learn more about IDA's Guardian Campaign ( http://www.GuardianCampaign.com ) and how you can be the impetus for change in your city.


4. SFVS & IDA Co-Present World Vegetarian Day in San Francisco

San Francisco, California -- named for Saint Francis, patron saint of animals -- is one of the most vegetarian-friendly cities on the planet, making it a fitting location for a World Vegetarian Day celebration co-presented by the San Francisco Vegetarian Society (SFVS) (http://www.sfvs.org) and IDA.

SFVS and IDA's World Vegetarian Day celebration will take place at the San Francisco County Fair Building in beautiful Golden Gate Park (click http://tinyurl.com/pbrzd for a map) on Saturday, September 30th and Sunday, October 1st from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) ( http://www.navs-online.org ), which started World Vegetarian Day in 1977, declared SFVS's 2005 celebration a winner in their Best World Vegetarian Day contest (group/institution category). Last year, approximately 3,000 visitors enjoyed SFVS's World Vegetarian Day festival. With IDA on board, we hope this year's event will be even bigger and better!

SFVS and IDA's World Vegetarian Day celebration will feature:

- World-renowned speakers John Robbins ( http://www.foodrevolution.org ), Howard Lyman ( http://www.madcowboy.com ), Dr. Alan Goldhamer ( http://www.healthpromoting.com/Articles/articles/meet.htm ), Dr. Joel Fuhrman ( http://www.drfuhrman.com ), Dr. Doug Graham ( http://www.doctorgraham.cc ), Kenneth Williams ( http://www.idausa.org/kgw_frame.html ) and more

- The OrganicAthlete ( http://www.organicathlete.org ) Conference on Saturday, September 30th with speakers and presentations from top vegan athletes

- International vegan cuisine and healthy food demos

- Vegan vendors and non-profit booths

- A fabulous eco-fashion show

- Live entertainment

- A catered vegan dinner (Saturday at 6:00 p.m.) for $12

World Vegetarian Day is free to kids, students and seniors. It is also free to everyone who comes before 10:30 a.m., after which a $5 donation is suggested.


OTHER BAY AREA EVENTS TO HELP ANIMALS

1. KQED Airs Mad Cowboy Documentary

Public television station KQED (Channel 9) has aired Mad Cowboy, the documentary about fourth-generation cattle rancher turned vegan advocate Howard Lyman ( http://www.madcowboy.com ), several times recently, with an encore broadcast coming up this Sunday. The fast-paced hour-long film tells the story of Lyman's transformation from Montana agribusinessman into globetrotting crusader for animals, the environment and people's health.

One highlight of the film is Lyman's 1996 Oprah Winfrey appearance during which he addressed mad cow disease, triggering a six-year legal battle. Lyman is shown in Mad Cowboy fervently declaring freedom of speech to be essential to stopping animal abuse, defending his right and duty to tell the public the truth about the meat industry. It is therefore ironic that KQED chose to censor the documentary by visually blurring the screen during scenes showing animal pain and death inside factory farms and slaughterhouses.

One can only assume that KQED programmers felt their audience couldn't handle seeing the nightmarish reality that farmed animals are forced to endure, even though viewers' meat eating is responsible for the terrible suffering that remains hidden and unseen. On the plus side, obscuring blood and killing from view may cause less discomfort for those watching the film (especially non-vegetarians), perhaps enabling people to absorb Lyman's message by not frightening them away with disturbing images. On the downside, many in KQED's audience may never again be exposed to visual proof of how animals are mistreated for food, as television networks rarely show graphic footage.

What You Can Do:

- Watch Mad Cowboy when it airs on KQED this Sunday, August 6th at 11:00 p.m., or order an uncensored version of the film on DVD ( http://www.madcowboy.com/02_VVFprods.002.html#MCD ).

- Contact KQED ( http://www.kqed.org/help/contact-us.jsp ) to thank them for airing Mad Cowboy and encourage them to include more animal rights documentaries in their programming. If you believe that viewers should be able to see Mad Cowboy as the filmmakers intended it to be seen -- in full, uncut, and with crucial scenes intact -- then let the programmers know what you think.

- Watch IDA's animal rights public access show Undercover TV ( http://www.undercovertv.org ) to see how animals are treated behind the scenes of the meat, fur, medical research and "entertainment" industries.


2. Compassionate Cooks' August Cooking Class: "Hearty Italian Cuisine + Taste Test"

Join IDA-sponsored Compassionate Cooks for their next vegan cooking class, "Hearty Italian Cuisine + Taste Test," and learn to make five delicious, nutritious dishes including Kalamata Tapenade Crostini, Penne Arrabbiata "Angry" Pasta, Hearty Spinach Lasagna, Portobello Mushroom Steaks with Herb-Infused Marinade and Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake. This class will also feature a special taste test of non-dairy ice creams.

Using local, in-season, mostly organic ingredients, Compassionate Cooks features easy-to-prepare recipes and debunks myths about plant-based diets. Join the class in August for yummy food samples and a lot of fun!

What: Compassionate Cooks' August Cooking Class: "Hearty Italian Cuisine + Taste Test"
When: Saturday, August 19th, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Where: The First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th Street (at Castro), Oakland (click http://uuoakland.org/directions.htm for directions)

Be sure to register in advance either online at http://www.compassionatecooks.com/reg.htm or by calling (510) 531-COOK. You can also mail a check to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, P.O. Box 18512, Oakland, CA 94619. The $45 cost of the class includes instruction, food samples, copies of recipes and much more.


3. Vigil for Animals Continues at UCSF

Vigil For Animals is putting pressure back on the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to change their vivisection practices by resuming monthly protests at the school's bustling Parnassus campus. Animal advocates have been targeting UCSF for their animal abuse since 2004 to protest the misuse of millions in tax dollars on cruel, useless experiments on dogs. Please join the effort to stop cruel

UCSF continues to deny that there are serious animal welfare problems in their labs -- despite numerous run-ins with the law that prove otherwise. Last year, for example, UCSF agreed to pay $92,500 after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) charged them with 75 violations of the Animal Welfare Act. University officials apparently think nothing of using the taxpayers' money to buy off the USDA so that they can resume business as usual. They also hide their dirty business behind a curtain of silence, illegally refusing to respond to public requests for information about animal experiments taking place at UCSF.

What You Can Do:

- Attend the monthly vigils to hold UCSF accountable:

What: Vigil for animals at UCSF
When: Thursday, August 17th 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Where: UCSF's Parnassus Campus, 513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco (get directions - http://tinyurl.com/rpyyc )

- Read Vigil For Animals' newsletter, which includes the latest updates on dogs' use and abuse in medical experiments at UCSF, as well as a revealing article about the living conditions of monkeys used in research written by a veterinarian who once worked in a primate lab. To get a free copy, send a stamped self-addressed envelope to Bob O'Brien, 311 - 11th Avenue #15, San Francisco, CA 94118.


4. Protest Ringling Bros. Circus in Oakland and San Jose

It's that time of year again: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is back in town, with exploited elephants, lions and tigers in tow. As in previous years, animal advocates will also be at the circus -- protesting it outside and educating audiences about Ringling's cruel abuse of wild animals who only perform tricks to avoid beatings. One particular incentive to take action is that Ringling's infamous "Elephant Department Head" Troy Metzler (a.k.a., "Captain Hook") will be at the performances. Metzler has been repeatedly videotaped hitting and hooking elephants with a bullhook as they scream in pain.

It does seem that Ringling is getting the message that animal abuse won't be passing for "entertainment" here in the Bay Area for much longer -- people are wising up and attendance is dropping, thanks in part to animal advocates' efforts. This year, Ringling has reduced their number of Bay Area performances from the usual 15 to only 8. In fact, they are not even coming to San Francisco's Cow Palace at all!

Animal activists' years of public outreach to expose circus cruelty is paying off, opening up the potential for even further gains against Ringling, the largest circus on the planet.

What You Can Do:

Please help Citizens For Cruelty-Free Entertainment expose Ringling's appalling animal welfare record through public outreach and distributing leaflets outside the circus in Oakland and San Jose.

Leafleting Times (NOT show times):

Oakland Coliseum Arena, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland (get directions - http://tinyurl.com/pmxuw ) at the inside entrance
- Thursday, August 17th at 6:00 p.m.
- Friday, August 18th at 1:15 p.m.* and 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday, August 19th at *1:15 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

HP Pavilion at San Jose, 525 W Santa Clara Street (at Autumn Street), San Jose (get directions - http://tinyurl.com/q92ua )
- Wednesday, August 23rd at 6:00 p.m.
- Thursday, August 24th at 6:00 p.m.
- Friday, August 25th at 5:15 p.m.
- Saturday, August 26th at *1:15 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Sunday, August 27th at *1:15 p.m. and 6 p.m.

To carpool and for more information, call (650) 654-9955 or email deniz_b [at] yahoo.com .

*It's especially important to be prompt, as we leaflet two shows at that time -- people coming out of an earlier show and people going into the next show. The people come out all at once, so they're easy to miss if activists arrive late.


5. Theater Benefit for Romanian Animal Rescue

Romania Animal Rescue (RAR) ( http://www.romaniaanimalrescue.com ) presents an evening at the theater to raise money for homeless animals in Eastern Europe. The play, "Romania - Beyond Dracula," is directed by Silvian Centiu ("A Transylvanian in Silicon Valley" - http://www.atransylvanian.com ). Don't miss this special performing arts event.

What: RAR theater fundraiser
When: Saturday, October 28th at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center ( http://www.fortmason.org/performingarts/cowell.shtml ), San Francisco

Tickets are $25 apiece advanced purchase, $30 at the door. Order tickets (http://www.romaniaanimalrescue.com/fundraising.htm#romfest )


6. Teen Puppy Killer Faces Felony Animal Abuse Charges

On Sunday July 23rd, 19-year-old Bernadette Hutcherson walked her 6-week-old Labrador retriever puppy on a leash along 28th Avenue with some friends. For some unknown reason, she suddenly got angry at the dog and kicked the eight-pound puppy hard enough to flip him several times. Hutcherson then picked up the helpless canine and smashed his head on the concrete. A passerby on the street tried to rescue the young dog, who was barely old enough to be weaned, but he died a few minutes after the beating.

This type of heartrending tragedy should never happen, but it remains all too common in our society, where self-defined animal "owners" treat living beings like disposable possessions. FBI research shows that many animal abusers are also violent towards other people. Given this common connection, IDA President Dr. Elliot Katz stated, "This young woman needs to be punished. She is a danger not only to puppies and other vulnerable beings, but also likely to children."

The sheer cruelty of Hutcherson's vicious, murderous behavior has prompted the Alameda County District Attorney's Office to charge her with felony animal abuse. If a court finds her guilty, she could face up to three years behind bars.

What You Can Do:

Write, call or fax Prosecutor Erin Loback of the Alameda County District Attorney's office and politely urge her to seek the maximum penalty for Hutcherson to prevent her from harming anyone else and to send a strong message that the law takes cruelty to animals seriously.

Prosecutor Erin Loback
Alameda County District Attorney's Office
661 Washington
Oakland, CA 94607
Tel: (510) 268-7570
Fax: (510) 839-0391