Domestic Violence: The forgotten Victims

November 1st, 2008: All-Day Conference on Animals & Domestic Violence

at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

CARES is hosting an all-day conference on Animal & Domestic Violence on November 1st, 2008 at Case Western (Ohio). Pioneers of the field such as Frank Ascione, Melinda Merck, Jim Prueter, and many others will be speaking at the conference. Contact Michelle Cehn (mtc14@case.edu) to register!

Welcome to Case Western, Dogs!

I'm thrilled to announce that the Case administrators are in the process of re-writing the CWRU Pet Policy, and they are modeling it after the policy proposed in the USG Resolution! This means that very soon pets will be allowed on campus grounds as long as they are kept on-leash and all waste is properly disposed of! Thank you to everyone who supported this effort, and I look forward to seeing floppy tongued furry faces on my walks to class. Let the tail wagging begin!

SlaughterCam - An innovative solution

I just discovered a fantastic website: vegan.com, a blog hosted by Erik Marcus, author of Meat Market (2005) and Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating (2000). Erik is a pioneer in the animal welfare movement, and is currently pushing for surveillance cameras to be mandatory in slaughterhouses. Installing surveillance cameras in slaughterhouses would serve as an inexpensive, easy, and effective method to assure slaughterhouses live up to the standards they agree to. A facebook group has been created to support this idea and coordinate efforts to make it become a reality. Join the group here!

Happy Earth Day 2008!

Some days it feels like McDonalds, Burger King and Taco Bell are taking over the world. Everywhere I look, commercials and advertisements are encouraging us to consume more and more. But there’s another side to consumption that we don’t see in the price of our burgers – the side of negative, lasting effects of pollution, deforestation, and carbon emissions. Few people know that eating meat, dairy and eggs contributes more carbon emissions than driving cars, and more than half of the water used in this country is consumed by animal agribusinesses.

This Earth Day represents an era of change. People around the globe are beginning to recognize how their actions affect the planet, and are putting forth the time and effort to make the decisions that will safeguard our resources for generations to come. I have a newfound confidence in our society, in myself, and in you. I believe that as we learn about the resources and suffering that went into our steak and eggs, we will change our habits to reflect a more peaceful and sustainable world. This Earth Day represents a movement to educate ourselves, to overcome apathy, to instill willpower, and to make a difference.

Dogs on the Case Campus ... Progress!

The Case Animal Rights & Ethics Society (CARES) was highlighted in the front page article of the Case Observer on Friday! The article was the second this year about the about the push to repeal the pet ban and allow dogs on campus. The Pet Policy petition and the Dogs on Campus survey that CARES facilitated received the attention of over 800 case students. The survey results showed an overwhelming majority of the case community is eager to allow pets back on campus. These efforts culminated in a USG resolution asking the administrators for a re-evaluation of the current pet ban. The resolution goes on to recommend a more accomidating pet policy that would allow dogs on campus grounds with strict on-leash and waste disposal policy that would be enforced. I presented the resolution to the USG at General Assembly, and it passed with 100% of the vote. I am pleased and excited that our efforts have gotten this far and accumulated so much support, and now I eagerly await the response of the administration. I really hope the administration takes the desires of the Case community to heart in making their decision.

Opening Dialogue about Animal Experimentation

CARES is teaming with the Case Biology Society to host a panel discussion/debate about the ethics of animal experimentation.

Panel speakers will include: Dr. Marty Pagel (Head of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee -IACUC), Dr. Kathy Hessler (Law School Animal Law professor), Dr. Richard Drushel (Vertebrate Anatomy professor), Dr. Sara Waller (Philosophy and Animal Cognition professor), and Carolyn Yane (A.B.D. in Neurochemistry, animal advocate).

• Please join us for invigorating discussion and a chance to express your own views on this topic. *Free Cookies and Drinks will be provided*