NHARL, Author at New Hampshire Animal Rights League

Nov 25, 2022 – Fur Free Friday

Posted on November 25, 2021July 20, 2023 by NHARL in Events (Passed)

Join the New Hampshire Animal Rights League on Fur Free Friday, November 25th, 2022, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in a peaceful protest against the use of fur.

Fur Free Friday, which takes place the day after Thanksgiving, is a global campaign in which people all over the world educate holiday shoppers about the cruel fur industry.

Every fur coat, fur accessory, or piece of fur trim, whether sourced from wild animals or those raised on fur farms, causes tremendous suffering and takes unnecessary lives.

Please meet on the corner of Hazen Drive and Loudon Road in Concord, NH. Parking: If you turn onto Hazen Drive and take the first left, parking is available. Signs will be provided.

NHARL Saves Two Thanksgiving Turkeys from Slaughter

Posted on November 24, 2021January 28, 2022 by NHARL in In the News

On November 23, the New Hampshire Animal Rights League saved two turkeys at Charmingfare Farm from being slaughtered for Thanksgiving.

The Story

Back in October, a NHARL board member “reserved” a turkey at Charmingfare Farm. When Thanksgiving approached, there was form to complete, and customers were asked to enter the size turkey they wanted. The NHARL board member entered “0 lbs,” and included a note. She said that she’d had a “change of heart,” and asked if she could take her turkey home as a pet.

To their credit, Charmingfare Farm was willing to do it.

“We’ve never had a request like this before,” said the owner of Charmingfare Farm.

NHARL asked for two turkeys, so they would have companionship.

On pick-up day, NHARL waited in line along with all the people picking up dead birds. We conversed loudly about how excited we were to be taking our turkey home alive.

When we got to the counter, we thanked the owner and continued to draw attention to ourselves. We joked that since the Governor had not pardoned a turkey this year, we were pardoning two.

As we were led out to the barn, we heard someone in line say, “Good job,” and another remark, “Now I feel bad.”

The spared turkeys were waiting for us in a crate, right alongside folding tables lined with the bodies of their flockmates.

Our vehicle was strategically parked near the front door, so that when the turkeys were loaded in, it would happen in view of customers coming and going.

A curious little girl, headed to the car with her mother, wanted to see the live turkeys. We invited her to touch the turkey’s soft tail feathers. She was worried about where they were going. “We’re taking these turkeys to a sanctuary,” we said, “so they don’t have to die.”

Her mother looked on with a big smile, despite holding a shopping bag containing a dead bird.

Although Charmingfare Farm shows photos of heritage breed turkeys on their web site, the ones they sell at Thanksgiving are large-breed, “Broad-Breasted White” turkeys (referred to as “Industry” or “Commercial Turkeys”).

The plight of such turkeys includes being bred not for fitness and health, but for fast growth. Rapid growth contributes to a range of devastating health problems, especially leg and joint problems and heart failure. These turkeys aren’t designed for longevity and thus require specialized care. (The Open Sanctury Project is an excellent resource for animal care.)

The rescued turkeys are staying with a friend of NHARL’s for the near future but may go to a sanctuary if it is determined that this would be a better home.

Sunday, Nov 6, 2022 – Annual Meeting & Gentle Thanksgiving

Posted on November 6, 2021November 9, 2022 by NHARL in Events (Passed)

We’re mixing things up this year with a crowd-pleasing vegan Italian Thanksgiving meal catered by Madeline and Olivia of New Roots Plant-Based Meal Prep and The Green Beautiful Gourmet Vegan Cafe — their new restaurant in Manchester!

NH Audubon McLane Center
84 Silk Farm Road
Concord, 03301 United States
11:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Tickets are $26* for adults and $10 for children (10 and under).

Seating is limited, so buy your tickets today! No tickets sold at door.
Ticket purchases are non-refundable.

* Ticket prices have increased from last year due to inflation and a more accurate cost projection for the event. If you would like to attend but the ticket price is not within your budget, please contact us.

Guest Speaker

Chris Schadler

of Project Coyote

Becoming Wolf: Eastern Coyotes in New Hampshire — Myths surround coyotes and cloud our understanding of them. Conservation biologist Chris Schadler will tell us the true story of eastern coyotes — how they live among us but are rarely seen, and how they contribute to keep our forests and fields healthy. Despite the ecological benefits they provide, coyotes are the most persecuted carnivore in North America. And despite human efforts to eradicate them, coyotes survive and thrive. Chris been studying wolves and coyotes for 40 years.

Oct 22, 2022 – Howl-O-Ween 5k

Posted on October 22, 2021October 23, 2022 by NHARL in Events (Passed)

NHARL will have a table at the Howl-O-Ween 5K hosted by the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire.

Bull Riding Doesn’t Belong in NH, or Anywhere

Posted on October 15, 2021February 1, 2022 by NHARL in Articles & Letters

Op-Ed in Union Leader
Oct 15, 2021

For those who care about animals and want to protect them from mistreatment, a silver lining of the pandemic was that it kept the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) tour away from Manchester, NH for more than a year. Alas, the tour is returning for two shows at the SNHU Arena in October.

The New Hampshire Animal Rights League opposes bull riding and any other activity where animals are made to perform for our entertainment. Although the PBR refers to the bulls as “animal athletes” and claims that they were born to buck, the bulls, unlike their human riders, do not consent to be there.

Being a PBR bull means being hauled around the country in a trailer, prodded into stalls and chutes, and on performance nights subjected to “a rock concert environment, complete with pulsating music, and explosive pyrotechnics,” as promoters describe it.

In the arena, there are several observable indicators that the bulls experience fear and distress. These include increased “eye white,” which results when the upper eyelid lifts, as well as “diarrhea butt,” an excrement-stained backside.

On event night, life for the bulls goes from just unnatural to downright dangerous. Just before they are let loose into the arena, the flank strap around their mid-section is yanked tight, which aggravates them into bucking harder and over-extending their hind legs as they fight to throw off the rider.

Although portrayed as “beasts” who are impervious to pain, bulls are not machines and often get hurt right along with the riders. Veterinarian and former rodeo performer Peggy Larson explains, “Bucking straps and spurs can cause the bull to buck beyond his normal capacity, and his legs or back may thus be broken.”

The PBR claims to care about the wellbeing of the animals, and yet they subject them to risk of injury over and over again. “In the case of a severe injury, that can’t be repaired through surgery, a bull would be humanely euthanized,” their web site states.

When profitable bulls are worn out or injured so severely that they can no longer perform, they may be retired to life as sperm donors. This allows the industry to continue exploiting the bulls for profit by selling their offspring, semen, or even frozen embryos created in vitro with their sperm. (Google “bucking bull semen and embryos” for an eye-opening look into the mindset of those who treat animals as commodities.)

Remarkably, despite the terrible risk to both the rider and animal, bull riding is marketed as family entertainment. These events may seem like harmless fun, but consider the message they send to both children and adults: it’s okay to dominate and control animals, to force them to perform for our entertainment, and to give little thought to their needs or imagine how they might be suffering.

A number of cities across the country have passed ordinances preventing the use of devices that force bulls and other rodeo animals to perform, including spurs and the flank strap. It is no accident that where these implements are prohibited, bull riding and rodeos disappear.

If you are interested in keeping bull riding out of New Hampshire, please reach out to the NH Animal Rights League.

You can join the NH Animal Rights League outside the SNHU Arena on Friday, Oct, 15 from 6:00 to 7:30PM for a peaceful demonstration against bull riding.

NHARL Liberates Snapping Turtle After 24 Years in a Fish Tank

Posted on October 5, 2021May 27, 2025 by NHARL in In the News

Update!

As of May 2025, Miękki the snapping turtle has been cleared for release back into the wild! While this is an unusual outcome for a turtle who spent many years in captivity, returning animals to their natural habitat is always the goal of responsible turtle rescue efforts when conditions allow. Good luck out there, Miękki!

Imagine spending your entire life in solitary confinement, unable to move farther than a few feet in any direction, and never able see another member of your own species.

This was the bleak existence for a “pet” snapping turtle named Shelly who lived in a fish tank in Tilton, NH for 24 years.

Imagining what that turtle’s life must be like kept members of the NH Animal Rights League, and an outraged woman named Hillarie Goldstein, awake at night.

How Could This happen?

Shelly the turtle was taken from the wild as a hatchling by well-meaning but uninformed people who saw her attempting to cross a busy downtown intersection. Although their intentions were good, they made the mistake of keeping the turtle far beyond the time when she could have been safely released back into the wild.

In New Hampshire, it is perfectly legal to take a snapping turtle out of the wild and make it a pet. In fact, you are allowed to take up to two.

This surprises most people, who reasonably assume that taking an animal out of the wild and keeping it captive is illegal.

Turns out there are some animals you can take from the wild, and some that you can’t. Having exclusive control over all captive and noncaptive wildlife in the state, The NH Fish and Game Department makes the rules.

Wildlife Possession Laws in NH

Below is a glimpse into laws surrounding possession of wildlife species occurring in New Hampshire. See the NH Fish and Game Department for a complete list.

Species that cannot be possessed

Any animal classified as threatened, endangered, or of special concern at the federal or state level (e.g., Blanding’s turtles and Eastern hognose snakes).

Note: Although the average person cannot possess these animals, exhibitors can with a permit.

Species that Can Be Possessed

Up to 5 of 13 different listed amphibians, such as spring peepers and red-spotted newts.
Up to 2 of 9 different listed reptiles, such as snapping turtles and ring-necked snakes.

Note: To protect breeding females, only snapping turtles of a certain size can be taken, and no indigenous turtle can be taken from May 15 to July 15.

In spite of laws allowing limited possession of these species, the NH Fish & Game Department encourages people to “leave wildlife wild,” adding that, “Populations of some species, especially turtles, can be adversely affected by the removal of a small number of individuals.”

Life in a Tank

The people who took Shelly home became more and more attached to her as time passed. She also became somewhat of an “attraction,” as she was on display in the lobby of the family’s used auto parts store.

As Shelly grew, successively larger fish tanks were purchased each time she outgrew one. But no matter how big the tank, her living conditions bore no resemblance to a natural snapping turtle habitat.

For one, snapping turtles like to be hidden and will dig themselves into the mud. They can also stay out of water for up to two weeks and move surprisingly fast on land.

Someone Speaks Up

In 2016, Hillarie Goldstein visited the auto parts shop where Shelly was kept and was shocked by her captivity and living conditions. She expressed her concern to the owners, but they believed that they were taking good care of the turtle.

Hillarie also contacted the NH Fish and Game Department, assuming that what she had witnessed must be breaking some law or rule. Cursory welfare checks were performed, and it was determined that the turtle was not being mistreated.

But Hillarie was not deterred. She wrote a letter to the editor and got press coverage in local newspapers.

Despite the publicity, nothing changed for Shelly the turtle.

Press Coverage of Shelly the Turtle

Giant snapping turtle in Tilton draws concern (Laconia Daily Sun, July 2016)
Local business owner refutes accusations of animal cruelty (Minnisquam Echo, July 2016)
Shel-he the snapping turtle deemed healthy (Laconia Daily Sun, April 2018)
Turtle re-homed after 24 years at Camaro Heaven (Laconia Daily Sun, Sept 2021)

NH Animal Rights League Gets Involved

Still unwilling to give up trying to help Shelly, Hillarie contacted the NH Animal Rights League.

NHARL got involved immediately but ran into the same roadblocks: no laws were being broken, and the owners did not want to give up the turtle.

Nevertheless, NHARL continued to try and convince the owners that Shelly would be better off elsewhere, while at the same time searching for an appropriate home. Being large and long-lived, snapping turtles are difficult to place.

Releasing Shelly back into the wild was not an option. Even if she were able to adapt to the elements and find food, not having built up a resistance to disease and parasites meant she would likely perish.

A ChAnge of Heart

Years passed and the situation seemed hopeless. Then a new NHARL board member picked up the fight. In approaching Shelly’s captor, she found that he’d had a change of heart and now realized the turtle would be better off elsewhere.

With renewed purpose, NHARL contacted every obvious potential home in NH; then expanded the search to surrounding states.

A promising option at a Vermont farm sanctuary with a pond fell through at the last minute, due to that state’s stricter possession laws.

Then NHARL found the Turtle Rescue League, a licensed native turtle rehabilitation clinic in Southbridge, MA, co-founded by Alexxia Bell and Natasha Nowick.

The Turtle Rescue League agreed to take Shelly as a permanent resident, and NHARL agreed to provide the funding needed to build her a habitat.

A date was picked to make the transfer!

Liberation Day

On a beautiful September morning, NHARL board member Joan O’Brien met Alexxia Bell and Natasha Nowick of the Turtle Rescue League at the used auto parts store in Tilton, NH where Shelly had spent her first 24 years.

Board member Linda Dionne would be on the other end in Massachusetts to witness the turtle’s arrival at her new home.

The photos below document the events of the day.

Note that Shelly was given a new name that day, as is typical; otherwise, the Turtle Rescue League would have hundreds of turtles named “Shelly.”

Natasha removes Shelly from the tank for the last time

Alexxia and Natasha perform a health check

NHARL board member Joan O’Brien takes a photo

Natasha renames the turtle Miękki, the Polish word for soft

Turtle habitat at the Turtle Rescue League

Example of a quarantine tank, where new turtle residents are kept for a period

Settling in to Her new home

These photos of Miękki (previously named Shelly) were taken on October 1, 2021 during an outdoor exercise session.

Her shell turns up at the bottom, when it should be rounded, because her diet was deficient in calcium. Lacking wild vegetation or other good sources of calcium, her body was forced to take the calcium it needed from her shell.

As you can see, Miękki still has some weight to lose. 🙂

Speaking Up for Farmed Animals at the Walk for the Animals

Posted on September 20, 2021January 28, 2022 by NHARL in In the News

On Sep 19, New Hampshire Animal Rights League was on site at the Pope Memorial SPCA’s Walk for the Animals, a fundraiser including a 1-mile and 3-mile walk.

Surrounded by dogs, we spread the message that farmed animals are really no different from our companion animals. Cows and pigs are just as capable of feeling pain, grief, and joy — and they also want to run and play!

We displayed the following posters, to convey “Why love one and eat the other?”

Along with giving out information about all the good reasons to eat plants, not animals, we handed out WHIMZEES vegetable-based dental chews.

WHIMZEES come in different fun shapes, including an alligator. As we explained to one family that the chews were not made from animals, their little boy remarked, “But it’s an alligator.” 🙂

Delicious Afternoon at Vegan Fall Market

Posted on September 13, 2021January 28, 2022 by NHARL in In the News

New Hampshire Animal Rights League was on site at the This Stop Is Willoughby fall mini market on Sunday, Sep 12 in downtown Dover, NH (home of Roots vegan cafe and CAKE. vegan bakery).

We met many vegans, and people moving in that direction, and spread the word about the work we do. Lots of visitors entered to win the Halloween baking raffle prize, signed up for our mailing list, and expressed interest in getting more involved.

There were Lovebird Donuts and ice cream from Like No Udder at the market—plus Camberville Dog Treats at our booth—so no one went hungry!

We’ll be back again on Oct. 17, in costume for Halloween!

Successful Booth at Market Days Festival 2021

Posted on August 22, 2021June 26, 2022 by NHARL in In the News

New Hampshire Animal Rights League is thrilled to share the news of our highly successful outreach efforts at the Market Days Festival in downtown Concord, NH.

During this three-day event (August 19-21), we spread the word about the work we do for all animals with a focus on promoting a vegan lifestyle.

Being situated next to the Col’s Kitchen tent made our mission all the easier, as Col’s plant-based eatery was grilling up delicious vegan burgers all weekend!

Accomplishments

Gathered more than 150 new names for our mailing list.
Made meaningful connections with hundreds of people who care about animals.
Gave out postcards with our top tips for going vegan.
Offered discounted memberships.
Lured festival-goers with a chance to win a Ninja Professional 1000-Watt blender (useful for vegan cooking!).
Got interviewed by Concord TV!

Goodie Bags

We also handed out close to 200 “goodie” bags containing vegan literature (sampling below), stickers, and vegan cookies from Lenny and Larry’s and Divvie’s.

Eye-Opening Video

We enticed more than 100 people to watch the following 1-minute video from Animal Outlook about “Humanewashing”— those deceptive marketing tactics designed to make us think that meat, egg, and dairy companies care about the welfare of farmed animals.

Those who watched the video received a free can of vegan cold brew coffee from RISE Brewing Co. along with some conversation about what they had seen.

Veganism is on the Rise

To our delight we met many people who were already vegan — such as “Angel” pictured below. Looks like Angel is getting enough protein…

Thank you to all our supporters and to everyone who stopped by to learn about the immense suffering of farmed animals.

Together, we will bring it to an end.

Aug 21, 2022 – Summer Picnic

Posted on August 21, 2021July 20, 2023 by NHARL in Events (Passed)

Our annual summer outing is back, and we’ve got an extra special party planned to make up for two missed summers!

Join us on picturesque Four Tree Island in Portsmouth for a vegan cookout, raffles, games, and special guest appearance for the little ones! Details to follow…

This event is FREE with plenty of parking, so bring the whole family or a big group of friends.

Please register with number of guests before Sunday, August 7, so we can be sure to have enough delicious food for everyone!

NHARL has reserved the space at Four Tree Island for the day, so come early and help set up, or stay late and enjoy the ocean.