Sun, Oct 13, 2024 – Donut Meetup

Posted on by NHARL in Events (Passed)

Once again, the NH Doughnut Company has been hard at work dreaming up new vegan donut flavors to temp us with!

While it may be impossible to top the “Cat-tastic” donut they baked for NHARL back in June, NH Doughnut Company is going to try.

NH Doughnut Company plans to double their vegan offerings on October 13 — just for us — so there will be six vegan options, instead of the usual three! Get your tastebuds ready for:

  • Pistachio whoopie donut
  • Glazed
  • Chocolate frosted
  • Cinnamon sugar
  • Strawberry frosted
  • London Fog

Important: The meetup is at the Bedford location (410 S River Rd., Bedford), and this will be the only location offering extra vegan flavors. 

Drop by anytime between 8:00 am and 12:00 pm on October 13 to enjoy a special treat and some social time. We’ll be there!

Let’s show NH Doughnut Co. that vegan donuts are in demand!

Order ahead!

The Bedford NH Doughnut Co. location is open 7:00 am to 1:00 pm or until they are sold out — which often happens! The shop recommends ordering ahead online the day before (up until 8:00 pm).

Letter: World day for octopuses

Posted on by NHARL in Articles & Letters

Letter to the Editor
Concord Monitor
October 4, 2023

Wolrd Day for Octopuses

World Octopus Day is Sunday, October 8. It is a day to celebrate these amazing animals, and we should do that by pledging not to eat them and avoiding restaurants serving them. If you become aware of a restaurant with octopus on the menu, consider writing a brief email or letter telling them why you will not patronize their restaurant. Octopuses are considered the smartest of all the invertebrates. Because they have no bones, they can squeeze through openings as small as a coin. Octopuses have been recorded escaping captivity and are called the Houdini of the sea. They have nine brains, one in their head and one in each of their eight tentacles. They have three hearts and blue blood.

Life is becoming more difficult for all sea animals because of climate change and overfishing. Octopus populations in the wild are decreasing. So, Spain plans to open the first farm to raise octopuses for the food industry. Being solitary animals, they will suffer greatly in the crowded conditions of a farm. The slaughtering method that would be used is extremely cruel. They will be fed other sea animals, decreasing those already depleted. Aqua farms are notorious polluters. If you search online, you will find more information and a source to sign a petition to stop this octopus farm. Watch ‘My Octopus Teacher’ on Netflix for some inspiration. After viewing, you will want to protect octopuses rather than harm them.

LINDA DIONNE
Raymond

Summer Outing a Big Success

Posted on by NHARL in In the News

We had another perfect weather day for the New Hampshire Animal Rights League’s annual summer outing held August 12, 2023 at Four Tree Island, Portsmouth!

President James Glover spent the day behind the grill, with his volunteer sidekick Trevor, serving up plant-based burgers from our friends KindRoots in Somerville, MA.

Volunteers Felisha, Carole, and Lynette were indispensable, setting up beforehand and doling out sides of pasta salad, potato salad, and chips.

Dessert was a decadent platter of mouthwatering vegan brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

Hangin’ Out on the Island

Our annual summer outing gives people who care about animals an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals. Guests enjoyed seeing old friends and making news ones.

Sno Kones!

Nothing says fun quite like a Sno Kone machine! Linda and Derek jumped in, serving up these frosty creations to our younger guests. 

Speaking up for sea life

The theme for that day was protecting sea life and the ocean. Fish are intelligent animals who feel pain just as we do. Because no U.S. law regulates the treatment of fish, both the commercial fishing industry and fish farms treat fish in ways that would be criminal if they were dogs or cats.

Posters were on display with information about the harm caused by fishing, along with handouts for visitors to take. Many people who were not signed up for the outing stopped to learn more, and we invited them to enjoy a delicious vegan burger.  

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who came out for this event, to all our helpers, and to those who made donations. We couldn’t do this work for animals without your support.

Speaking up for fish at the Market Days Festival

Posted on by NHARL in In the News

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

During this three-day event (June 22- 24), we spread the word about the work we do for animals and made sure everyone who stopped left knowing that Yes, Fish Feel Pain.

(We also snuck in a Dairy is Scary message to accompany our oat milk latte giveaway.) 

Visitors to our booth not only learned that there is scientific evidence that fish experience pain, but also that commercial fishing is cruel, destructive, and kills great numbers of sea turtles, dolphins, and other non-target sea animals.

  • Bottom trawlers (left above) drag nets larger than football fields along the ocean floor, scraping up everything in their path, including non-target marine life — known as “bycatch” — while destroying underwater ecosystems in the process.

  • Long line fishing (right above) uses thousands of baited hooks hanging from a single line which can be 60-120 miles long. Sea turtles, dolphins, sea birds, and many other non-target fish and aquatic animals are caught on these lines. Marine animals may spend hours or days impaled on hooks before the gear is hauled up.

Seeing is Believing

More than 300 people, young and old, agreed to watch the following 1-minute video, “Do Fish Feel Pain?”

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

Fish Toys

We gave out fish backpack key chain “fidget” toy with a thought-provoking tag: 
“Please be my friend by letting me live in my underwater home.”

Goodie Bags

We handed out more than 250 “goodie bags” containing vegan literature (sampling below), coupons, and Swedish fish (an accidentally vegan candy), tagged: “The only fish you should eat.”

Movie Poster

We recommended the film Seaspiracy (watch on Netflix or Google “watch Seaspiracy for free”).

Information cards

We created and shared information cards about:

  • Right whales
  • Lobsters
  • Catch & Release Fishing
  • Risks of Eating Fish

Dairy is Scary

As a final bit of advocacy, we shared these scary dairy facts as visitors selected their non-dairy milk latte:

  • Cows need to be pregnant and give birth to produce milk.
  • Taking newborn calves from mothers hours after birth is standard practice
    on dairy farms everywhere, organic or not.
  • Male calves have no use on a dairy farm, so they are chained in crates and sold as veal.

Thank you

Thank you to all our supporters and to everyone who stopped by to learn about the harms of fishing and eating fish.

Spreading the word that dogs can be vegan

Posted on by NHARL in In the News

NHARL was on site at the NHSPCA’s annual PAWS Walk fundraiser talking about vegan diets for dogs.

This year we also had a group of members and supporters walking as “Team NHARL,” raising more than $700 for the NHSPCA (participants Valerie and Laureen not pictured). 

New research supports vegan diets for dogs

Until recently, little data was available about the health of dogs on vegan diets. But there are now eight such studies in leading scientific journals, and all but one found that the healthiest and least hazardous diet for dogs is a nutritionally sound vegan diet. 

While pet food advertisers like to compare dogs to wolves, a dog’s digestive system is different from his wolf ancestors, we explained. Over 15,000 years of living among humans, dogs evolved to eat whatever people gave them — which until modern times would not have included much meat. 

Dogs don’t need meat; dogs need protein.

We gave away samples of vegan dog treats made by V-dog and handed out a brochure with more information, along with pamphlets from Farm Sanctuary and Vegan Outreach.

Thank you!

Thank you to Team NHARL and to everyone who stopped by to learn about vegan diets for dogs.

Get some rest, and we’ll see you next year!

Letter: Rather than buy, adopt your next family dog

Posted on by NHARL in Articles & Letters

Letter to the Editor
Union Leader
May 26, 2023

RATHER THAN BUY, ADOPT YOUR NEXT FAMILY DOG

A puppy store chain recently opened a location in Manchester and, unfortunately, business has been brisk. Inside the store, rows of stark aquarium-style cages contain puppies of every “must have” breed commercialized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Cage labels indicate that the puppies come from Missouri, Iowa, and other parts of the Midwest. At about eight weeks old, they are put on a truck and driven halfway across the country to New Hampshire, where — unlike our neighbors New York and Maine — there is no law that prevents treating puppies like merchandise.

Eager puppy store customers take out their credit cards or sign up for 100% financing for these dogs, which cost between $3,000 and $6,000. Meanwhile, across town at the Manchester Animal Shelter — and at humane societies around the state — lovable animals, many who are good with children, wait for homes.

Please stop and think before taking the kids to the pet store to buy your next family dog, thereby perpetuating the demand to “manufacture” yet another batch of purebred puppies at some faraway breeding operation.

Instead, why not make a family project out of visiting animal shelters, rescues, and sanctuaries in search of the “perfect” dog? Those who adopt will tell you that nothing is more rewarding and rescuing a homeless animal is a great lesson for the kids.

JOAN O’BRIEN
Amherst
 

NHARL Takes on a New Puppy Store

Posted on by NHARL in Events (Passed), In the News

Over Memorial Day Weekend, NHARL was out in force protesting a new puppy store that opened in Manchester. 

A description of the store is included in a letter to the Union Leader written by one of our board members.  

Along with holding signs, we were able to have some conversations with curious onlookers about the problem with pet store puppies.

We also handed out the 2-sided flyer shown below (click for printable PDF).

Successful Outreach at NH Fish & Game Event

Posted on by NHARL in In the News

New Hampshire Animal Rights League is delighted to share the news of our successful outreach efforts at NH Fish & Game’s Discover Wild NH Day held April 15, 2023 in Concord.

During this popular family event that attracts thousands, we educated people about the harm to wildlife and the environment caused by lead ammunition.

In the photo above, Caelin explains to a young visitor that a piece of lead only the size of a grain of rice is enough to kill an eagle.

Our tent attracted non-stop visitors, with kids waiting in line to spin our “Am I Safe from Lead?” wheel.

Accomplishments

  • Educated hundreds of people, young and old, about the harm lead ammunition causes to wildlife and the environment.
  • Sounded the alarm about the dangers lead poses to bald and golden eagles, foxes, bobcats, and other animals, who can become sick and die from consuming contaminated prey and carcasses.
  • Connected with fellow exhibitor The Loon Preservation Committee in our shared desire to protect wildlife from lead poisoning. The Loon Preservation Committee was behind the New Hampshire law banning the sale and freshwater use of lead fishing tackle to protect loons.
  • Spoke to Scott Mason, Director the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department about the dangers of lead ammo, when he stopped by our tent at the start of the event.

Literature

We handed out a brochure we created for the event, Get the lead out of hunting.

PosterS

We displayed the following posters to discuss with visitors to our booth.

Letter Signing Campaign

We invited children and adults to sign our letter asking NH Fish and Game to better educate hunters about the dangers of lead ammunition and make it easier for them to switch to non-lead ammo.

Hundreds of people signed on with enthusiasm. Our plan is to present the letter to the NH Fish and Game Commission to start a dialog about what can be done to address this problem in New Hampshire.

Prizes!

Winners of our spinning wheel contest went home with a “Huggers” stuffed animal (eagle, fox, or black bear), and we also gave kid visitors a set of toy binoculars  to reinforce the idea that wildlife should be enjoyed, not destroyed.

Next year we will bring a lot more prizes, because the event was so well attended that we ran out of everything before noon!

Thank you to our volunteers and to everyone who stopped by to learn about the harm caused by lead ammunition.

This mother and baby loon enjoy some protection from lead poisoning, because in 2016 the sale and use of lead fishing tackle was banned in New Hampshire.

Letter: Slaughtering animals makes no sense at all

Posted on by NHARL in Articles & Letters

Reader Opinion
The Keene Sentinel
January 10, 2023

Slaughtering animals makes no sense at all

It took me several days to read the recent article (“It doesn’t get any easier,” Dec. 31, from the Valley News) on the farm-animal-slaughtering business in the Upper Valley… not because of a lack of time or interest, but because of the overwhelming sadness of this situation for everyone involved, especially the innocent animals who lose their lives to satisfy the human palate.

There’s no need to cite statistics or to verify the research. We all understand that animal agriculture contributes greatly to the crisis of climate change; we all recognize that we could eliminate the scourge of global food insecurity if we raised grain to feed to people, instead of feeding it to the animals who end up on our plates; we all feel, in our pockets, the enormous costs to the health care system of treating diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers that are related to the consumption of animal products. And then there are the moral and ethical issues…

Mr. Havill, the farmer in the article, said that he cannot watch the killing of the animals he has raised; Mr. Miller, the, “itinerant slaughterer,” said that after 40 years his work still weighs heavily on him and doesn’t get any easier. So why do they do it? Why do people continue to raise and kill animals for food, when there are so many peaceful, tranquil, healthy, affordable and delicious alternatives? It makes no sense at all.

JEAN SLEPIAN
Stoddard

Speaking Out Against Bull Riding

Posted on by NHARL in In the News

As always, the New Hampshire Animal Rights League was on the ground at the SNHU Arena in Manchester to protest the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Tour.

The League led two impactful demonstrations before each scheduled show — Saturday evening, Dec. 17, and Sunday afternoon, Dec. 18.

Thank you to everyone who came out — especially those who were there for both shows! — to speak up for bulls. 

Educating the public

While most ticketholders were not visibly receptive to the message that bull riding is animal abuse, demonstrators nonetheless succeeded in handing out more than 100 flyers (shown below).

The flyer content was inspired by the arguments we hear from those who think bull riding is harmless.

Going inside the arena

View from inside the SNHU Arena

Although supporting the PBR (or any business that uses animals for profit or entertainment) is discouraged, one NHARL board member did go inside to see first-hand what the bulls are subjected to. She writes:

It was pretty awful being inside the arena. I did see “eye white” and “diarrhea butt.” When the bull is in the chute and the rider is getting mounted, sometimes there was an overhead view on the big screen. The bulls are pretty calm, like they know the routine, but the crew will punch or pinch the bull to upset him so the rider can make sure he has a good grip before the gate opens.

The least experienced riders went first and were thrown off within 4 seconds. In most cases the bull would quickly look for the exit gate and leave the ring (he probably gets a reward out back). But sometimes the bull would keep bucking without the rider, because the flank strap was still tight, or he’d charge at the ring crew before leaving.

And a few times the now rider-less bull seemed like he didn't want to leave, and would charge at the crew and run around the ring. In this case a guy on a horse with a lasso would rope the bull and lead him to the exit.

The music was really loud, and they had the pyrotechnics, and there was this stupid clown guy telling jokes and shooting prizes into the stands. Overall, it was just a completely inappropriate setting for a peaceful herd animal.

I did not see any bull become visibly injured while I was there, but I left before the show ended.

— NHARL board member

What You Can Do