Go Vegan for the Holidays! In Defense of Animals Inspire Others with Your Vegan Story! IDA invites you to encourage others to take the vegan challenge in 2015 by sharing your vegan story, a campaign initiated by Australias Animal Liberation Victoria that has spread internationally. The goal is to unite animal advocacy organizations worldwide in this vegan outreach effort. Your story can be brief, a couple of sentences, as long as you follow it with these three hashtags: #MyVeganStory #NewYearsResolution #VeganEasyChallenge. The last two hashtags indicate who decided to try veganism to follow their progress and direct them to Vegan Easys 30-Day Vegan Challenge. Research shows that one of the most effective ways of influencing people is through story telling. If every vegan shares how and why they went vegan on their favorite social media sites (Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) with the hashtags, it will trend across all social media sites and spread virally. Post your Vegan Story between the December 26th and January 1st to inspire people to go vegan for their New Years resolutions. Click here to read more. Meet Brodie, One of IDAs Many Success Stories In Defense of Animals Each day this month, as we share our stories of new beginnings, our stories of rescue and success, we hope that they have made an impact on you, and we hope that they have reaffirmed your commitment to compassion and kindness to all living beings. For animals all across the country and even around many parts of the world, winter and the holidays can be a harsh time. While fortunate people might spend a chilly evening snuggled under a blanket in front of a warm fire, many animals must endure the freezing temperatures without any hope of warmth or shelter. One such animal experiencing this horror was Brodie. Director of In Defense of Animals Hope Animal Sanctuary, Doll Stanley, found Brodie tethered outside to a tree by a heavy chain in a barren yard in the freezing cold, brittle and thin as the tree roots he huddled against for warmth. Emaciated and starving, Brodie was the victim of severe neglect and thanks to IDA, his guardians were ultimately prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law. With lots of love and care, Brodie has not only fully recovered but has flourished. His new home provides him with lots of warmth, food, and love. In Defense of Animals was there for Brodie thanks entirely due to support from people around the world who recognize value in all living beings and who have made a commitment and promise to animals like Brodie. Please consider making a special year end donation to In Defense of Animals today. Your generous gift will go to work right away making sure that we are there on the front lines fighting for Brodie and the countless other victims like him. A Devastating LossIn Defense of Animals IDA invites you to read this touching column about the recent loss of a beloved animal companion on our Sustainable Activism Blog by guest blogger and IDA volunteer writer Tiphani Davis, who is a freelance writer and animal activist. Patricina knew me for 12 years. She came to me when I first returned from Brazil in the dead of winter and, comforting me, sat in my lap the first time I left home for a new city. She journeyed with me through loves gained and lost, and was there through the births of both my daughters. For 12 years she travelled with me, from the rolling hills of Kentucky to the streets of Baltimore to the misty mountains of Pennsylvania. For 12 years she was my staple, an ever-present reminder of who I am and why I believe what I believe. But now I have lost her. It was a late February evening when she came to me, small and starved and broken, so white I could barely differentiate between her and the snow-covered ground. I picked her up and wrapped her in my arms, giving her a name of strength and power, a name that would come to define her. I nourished Patricina, brought life back to her weak body, and she brought life back to my spirit. She was the first I ever loved unconditionally.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 01:16:42 +0000