Self-starters & special project updates

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 2005:

The Humane Research Council, recently formed by longtime
Seattle activist Che Green, has published an analytical overview of
more than 25 studies done between 1943 and 2005 on the vegetarianism,
veganism, and meat avoidance among U.S. adults. Studies done since
2000 indicate that from two to six million Americans are actual
vegans and vegetarians, eight to 13 million call themselves
vegetarians, 25 to 33 million eat meat with less than half of their
meals, 46 to 54 million are actively reducing their meat
consumption, and 73 to 105 million eat meatless meals by choice 2-3
times per week. The complete report is available from
<info@humaneresearch.org>.

Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide, formed
in 1990 by then-Secretary of State James A. Baker III and his wife
Susa, in December 2005 honored U.S. consular volunteer Robert
Blumberg of Colombo, Sri Lanka, for responding “to the needs of
lost dogs, cats, and other animals” after the December 26, 2004
Indian Ocean tsunami. “Robert recognized the danger of rabies that
unvaccinated pets posed to the general population,” the award
announcement summarized. He formed a coalition,” initially funded
by ANIMAL PEOPLE, “to vaccinate as many animals as they could.

They placed a red collar on the animals to indicate that they had been
treated. Over 14,000 animals were vaccinated. Blumberg went on to
help found the Tsunami Memorial Animal Welfare Trust to carry on the
sterilization program, and to help find homes for animals whose
owners were killed.” Since March 2005 the Trust has vaccinated
another 8,000 dogs, sterilizing 6,000, emulating methods developed
by the Bali Street Dog Foundation. Bali Street Dog founder and
Humane Society International regional representative Sherry Grant is
a Trust board member.

Tammy Grimes, founder of the anti-dog chaining group Dogs
Deserve Better, and associate web producer for ANIMAL PEOPLE since
March 2005, on November 28 asked PETA to stop a drive advertised
with a full page in The New York Times to raise funds to donate
doghouses to keepers of “outdoor” dogs. “You are enabling people who
chain their dogs to continue,” Grimes charged, “not only for this
dog, but also for future dogs. Do we as animal advocates buy bigger
gestation crates for pig farmers? No! Why would we then provide
this for dog chainers? In most areas laws already state that shelter
must be provided,” Grimes added. “Force people to provide a dog
with a house, if they won’t bring the dog in; don’t do it for them!”