Summer/Fall 2020

SUMMER/FALL 2020

ACTION LINE

PANDEMIC PREVENTION FOA FORGES RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AFRICAN PEOPLE, WILDLIFE HOW TO BE LESS TRASHY

FoA takes on 'miracle cure' industry and wild animal wet markets

6 COVER STORY

Pandemic prevention: FoA takes on 'miracle cure' industry and wild animal wet markets

4 VICTORY LAP Latest news about FoA's advocacy and achievements 12 NEWS How podcasts can help you connect with the natural world 14 FOA ABROAD Community-based tourism is the silver bullet for protecting African wildlife FoA is shifting minds and diets in Senegal 22 EARTH MATTERS How to be less trashy

26 IN YOUR BACKYARD

It's not easy being green, so be frog friendlier 29 NEWS

FoA inspires people to go pesticide- free one lawn at a time 30 LETTERS

WHO WE ARE Friends of Animals is an international non-profit animal-advocacy organization, incorporated in the state of New York in 1957. FoA works to cultivate a respectful view of nonhuman animals, free-living and domestic. Our goal is to free animals from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation around the world.

Friends of Animals is proud to be a woman-founded and -led organization for more than 60 years.

CONTACT US NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS 777 Post Road Darien, Connecticut 06820 (203) 656-1522 contact@friendsofanimals.org WESTERN OFFICE 7500 E. Arapahoe Rd., Ste 385 Centennial, CO 80112 (720) 949-7791 PRIMARILY PRIMATES SANCTUARY P.O. Box 207 San Antonio, TX 7891-02907 (830) 755-4616 office@primarilyprimates.org

32 A LEGACY OF COMPASSION

VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT Dustin Rhodes [NC] dustin@friendsofanimals.org DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION Michelle Hopson [CT] mhopson@friendsofanimals.org COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Fran Silverman [CT] fsilverman@friendsofanimals.org CORRESPONDENT/ACTION LINE EDITOR Nicole Rivard [CT] nrivard@friendsofanimals.org SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Meghan McIntire [NC] www.twitter.com/FoAorg mmcintire@friendsofanimals.org ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT Donna Thigpen [CT] SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT Shelly Scott [CT]

FOLLOW US facebook.com /friendsofanimals.org /primarilyprimates.org

DIRECTOR, WILDLIFE LAW PROGRAM Michael Harris [CO] michaelharris@friendsofanimals.org

MEMBERSHIP Annual membership includes a year’s subscription to Action Line. Students/Senior membership, $15; Annual membership, $25; International member, $35; Sustaining membership, $50; Sponsor, $100; Patron, $1,000. All contributions, bequests and gifts are fully tax-deductible in accordance with current laws.

REPRODUCTION No prior permission for the reproduction of materials from Action Line is required provided the content is not altered and due credit is given as follows: “Reprinted from Action Line, the Friends of Animals’ magazine, 777 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820.”

Action Line is a quarterly publication. Issue CLXXXIV Summer/Fall 2020 ISSN 1072-2068

IN MY VIEW

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Robert Orabona [CT] admin@friendsofanimals.org

SPAY/NEUTER PROJECT Belveley Russell [CT] bookkeeper@friendsofanimals.org

Twitter @FoAorg

BY PRISCILLA FERAL, PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT Priscilla Feral [CT] www.twitter.com/pferal www.twitter.com/primate_refuge feral@friendsofanimals.org

VISIT US www.friendsofanimals.org www.primarilyprimates.org

Instagram/foaorg

31 CHEERS & JEERS

OUR TEAM

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Jennifer Best [CO] jennifer@friendsofanimals.org ATTORNEYS Andreia Marcuccio [CO] andreia@friendsofanimals.org Courtney McVean [CO] courtney.mcvean@friendsofanimals.org Stephen Hernick [CO] shernick@friendsofanimals.org Adam Kreger [CO - Animal Law Fellow] adam.kreger@friendsofanimals.org SR. POLICY ADVISOR Bill Clark [VA] bclark@friendsofanimals.org OFFICE MANAGER Liz Holland [CO] wlp_admin@friendsofanimals.org PRIMARILY PRIMATES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brooke Chavez [TX] brooke@primarilyprimates.org

VOTE FOR THE PLANET AND ALL ITS INHABITANTS DURING ELECTIONS

I

f you’re a self-described climate activist, you likely know that curbing carbon emissions helps offset global temperatures increasing 2-3 degrees Celsius to avert dust bowl conditions—which threaten large areas of North America, Asia and Africa—along with water shortages and rapid melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which would raise ocean levels 16 feet.

You may also have heard that the difference between 2 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees is the difference between damaged coral reefs and no remaining reefs, between thinning forests and them being replaced by deserts—ultimately a choice between catastrophe and chaos.

These are unsettling predictions, but they compel us to reduce carbon emissions because the more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the warmer the planet becomes. The Union of Concerned Scientists says that to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, we’ll need to reach “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner. Net zero means that, on balance, no more carbon is dumped into the atmosphere than is taken out.

To reach net zero emissions, we need to do more than just reduce our emissions: We need to actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or offset its effects.

The Union of Concerned Scientists believes the easiest way to do this is by planting new forests or restoring old ones. Other enhanced land management practices can help, as can new technologies that suck Co2 out of the air (direct air capture) or prevent it from leaving smokestacks (carbon capture and storage).

Every year, by burning coal, oil and gas, we release increasing amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, so environmentally sustainable energies are essential, and we need a government that supports that truth.

And the truth is animal farming emits at least 18% of greenhouse gas emissions (methane) measured in carbon dioxide. So, slaughtering 115 million pigs and 33 million cows in the U.S. each year contributes to climate change. So does dairy production. I don’t care how many jobs the meat industry creates, that’s an economic issue, but not a moral justification for the misery we impose on animals who are turned into products, not to mention the

destruction of the planet.

Today, upwards of 2 million cattle graze public lands, and now the government is increasingly authorizing thousands of oil, gas and mineral extraction projects on properties overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. The result truly is a crisis—these commercial activities will continue to substantially fragment and reduce the amount of habitat left for western wildlife.

Human population growth impacts energy consumption too, so it’s smart to address human birth control rather than the use of fertility control pesticides like PZP to blast wildlife as though they’re the ones out of control.

We don’t need fewer wild horses, buffalo, wolves or deer, but a further scaling down of hunters and the removal of the meat industry’s hooks into our government agencies.

Last winter, a New York member of Congress advised children to cut back on meat eating by having a banana and peanut butter for breakfast. Fair enough, but the U.S. is responsible for the biggest share of global carbon emissions, so it needs the biggest solutions.

A Congressional solution could classify carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act and regulate it as such. And there could be carbon taxes that invest in renewable energy and large-scale investment in research and development of decarbonization technologies.

But we haven’t seen a serious effort to negotiate a binding global climate treaty, and its high time to take the long view to seriously consider the fate of civilization decades or centuries after our lives have passed.

We’ve been trained to overthink the present and ignore the future. Please think deeply about your personal choices and about your political ones in the elections ahead.

We are living at a crucial time in human history: The decisions we make right now regarding our treatment of the planet and all its human and non-human inhabitants will affect future generations, for better or worse. We must resist the urge to be complacent.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jane Seymour [CT] jane@friendsofanimals.org

Summer/Fall 2020 | 3 Printed on Recycled Paper

VICTORY LAP

THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT FOA’S ADVOCACY AND ACHIEVEMENTS

BY NICOLE RIVARD AND FRAN SILVERMAN. PHOTOGRAPH BY NIKA AKIN

FOA WINS FEDERAL APPEALS IN OWL VS. OWL CASE

study the impact on northern spotted owls, although there is no evidence that killing barred owls could be a longterm management tool to protect spotted owls. The experiment was originally approved on federal lands, but later FWS claimed that it was important to the experiment to kill barred owls on nearby private and state lands too. In exchange for permission to kill barred owls on private and state lands, FWS gave private timber companies permission to destroy habitat of northern spotted owls.

Friends of Animals (FoA) has won an important appeals court victory in its efforts to protect barred owls from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service experiment that was aimed at killing them to save spotted owls.

A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit appeals court in January overturned a district court dismissal of the case FoA brought against FWS concerning the killings that had allowed it to continue. The case will now be sent back to the district court to rule on its merits.

While FWS claimed it was protecting spotted owls by killing barred owls, both species are being harmed.

In April FoA won its lawsuit filed “As more species move toward against the U.S. Environmental Proextinction it is critical to address the tection Agency (EPA) for denying the underlying causes, such as habitat organization’s May 2015 legal petition destruction and climate change. This asking the agency to consider new case challenges permits that do the scientific evidence demonstrating opposite,’’ said Jennifer Best, assistant the need to cancel the registration of legal director of FoA’s Wildlife Law the pesticide porcine zona pellucida.

Program. “The challenged permits, (PZP). The registration for PZP was approved under the guise of helping issued to the Humane Society of the threatened spotted owls, allow timber United States in 2012 so it could be companies to destroy northern spotted used as chemical sterilant to control owl habitat in exchange for letting gov- the population of America’s wild horsernment officials kill barred owls on es and burros. private and state lands as part of an exU.S. District Court Judge Michael periment to see if killing one owl could Simon adopted the findings and recimpact the other. This is not only cruel, ommendations outlined by United but also short-sighted and bad for both States Magistrate Judge Patricia Sulliowl species.” van in October of 2019.

In 2013, FWS approved an experi“The EPA will now be required ment that entails killing barred owls to to look at the compelling evidence

FOA'S VICTORY FORCES EPA TO CONSIDER NEW PZP RESEARCH

4 | Friends of Animals

submitted with our petition concerning the detrimental impacts of the use of the pesticide on wild horses rather than shirking their statutory responsibilities, which is what the agency has been trying to do throughout this process,” said Michael Harris, director of FoA’s Wildlife Law Program. "It was a long, hard fought case but worth the effort. It's a thrilling victory for the wild horses and those who advocate for their well-being and freedom and a stunning blow to the meat industry and energy interests who want them wiped out."

Information is now available to the EPA regarding the unintended— and previously undisclosed—side effects on targeted mares and wild horses in general. It not only shows unreasonable adverse effects, but also indicates the use of PZP on wild horses likely violates the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971.

“Therefore, the use of PZP on wild horses is likely illegal under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA),” Harris added.

Since EPA originally granted the registration, independent research has been published identifying that PZP poses the risk of immediate physical damage to the dosed mares, can increase the mortality rate in foals born to treated mares after the PZP loses its effectiveness, can result in social disruptions among herds with treated mares that damages long-term herd cohesion that is critical to the health of the animals and places the wild horses at risk of a genetic bottleneck.

Summer/Fall 2020 | 5

COVER STORY

C

FoA takes on 'miracle cure' industry and wild animal wet markets

BY FRAN SILVERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANE SEYMOUR

ovid-19 has brought the world to its knees, claiming thousands of human lives along the way.

So far, genetic analyses have come up short of pinpointing the COVID19 culprit but the new coronavirus is thought to have originated in bats and transmitted to humans via the pangolin in a Wuhan wet market in China, according to reports in The New York Times and Washington Post.

Pangolins, a shy species often referred to as “the scaly anteater,” are prized in China as a delicacy and for the purported medicinal value of their scales, making the animals the most illegally traded mammal on the planet. Eight species of pangolins are found on two continents—Asia and Africa—and all now range from vulnerable to critically endangered.

Friends of Animals (FoA) has written the leaders of the United Nations as well as representative from individual UN member countries, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and U.S. Sec. of State Michael Pompeo's office calling for the closure of all wild animal "wet markets" where captured wildlife are sold and consumed (see our op-ed on page 11 that appeared in the New York Daily News).

Anthony Fauci, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is the nation's top infectious diseases expert, called for a closure of wet markets.

"It just boggles my mind how, when we have so many diseases that emanate out of that unusual human-animal interface, that we don't just shut it down," Fauci said.

At press time, China imposed a temporary nationwide ban on the selling and consuming of wildlife, but it didn’t extend the ban to medical use.

The healing properties of pangolins

disease—there was SARS in 2003; H1N1 in 2009; and MERS in 2012, to mention a few.

FoA has repeatedly stepped in to help species caught in this dangerous trade.

This winter, FoA’s Wildlife Law Program (WLP) petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to place the giant devil ray on the endangered

"It just boggles my mind how, when we have so many diseases that emanate out of that unusual human-animal interface, that we don't just shut it down," ANTHONY FAUCI DIR. OF THE U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

remain a widely held belief despite evidence that consuming pangolins can cause ailments. It is one of many animals on the brink of extinction because they are consumed and exploited by an industry peddling their parts for bogus health perks.

As a group that’s been advocating for a plant-based diet for decades, FoA knows all too well this is not the first time the consumption and exploitation of wild and domestic animals has not only hurt their chances of survival, but has led to an outbreak of a zoonotic

species list stating that the species is in imminent danger of extinction.

One key reason? Demand for their gill plates for tonics that are marketed as being able to prevent sickness, improve the immune system, enhance blood circulation and fight diseases such as cancer—all despite any solid proof.

Their gill plates are marketed under the trade name Peng Yu Sai and are the key ingredient in a tonic medicine that is purported to prevent sickness by improving the immune

Summer/Fall 2020 | 7

system and enhancing blood circulation. However, evidence of its health benefits is lacking as noted in recent interviews with practitioners in Guangzhou, China and Singapore who stated that Peng Yu Sai has no health benefits, WLP’s petition noted.

Giant devil rays, the deepest and fastest divers in the ocean who are beloved for their amazing water acrobatics, are mostly found in the Mediterranean Sea and Northeast Atlantic.

Their population has decreased by 50 percent in the past three generations.

From bears being farmed for bile to rhino horns and elephant skins ground into powders, threatened and endangered species are caught in an industry peddling their parts for bogus health perks that only benefit the marketer’s pockets. And millions of people across the world are buying into it.

“We do see modern-day snake oil salesmen,” John Scanlon, former secretary general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) told French media outlet AFP. FoA has pointed to this problem repeatedly when seeking Endangered

8 | Friends of Animals

Species Act (ESA) protections for several species.

“Time is running out. We need to put an end to false claims that there are any medicinal benefits from these animal parts and stop the killing of threatened and endangered animals for ‘medicine,’” said Jennifer Best, assistant legal director of the WLP. In addition to the giant devil ray, FoA has stepped in to protect other marine mammals who have been exploited for phony health benefits.

The scalloped hammerhead shark population was dwindling fast when FoA successfully stepped in to protect the species with a petition to FWS to list them as endangered. They were killed for meat and fins used in shark fin soup. Shark fins have long been used in traditional Eastern medicines and soups that are promoted, without evidence, as helping everything from general well-being to fighting cancer.

The soup has become popular in western countries as well after a book titled Sharks Don’t Get Cancer spurred the idea that shark fin could be used as an alternative cancer treatment.

The fins have been sold in powder and tablet form as dietary supplements.

The idea that shark fins can help fight cancer has persisted even though several scientific studies found no cancer-fighting benefits. A 2000 report by D.C.-based George Washington University Medical Center said that tumors had been documented in sharks, skates and rays.

And in 2010, a study funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that a drug derived from shark cartilage did

HUMAN INFECTIONS CAUSED BY THE ANIMAL TRADE

not improve survival among patients with late-stage lung cancer.

RHINO HORN MYTHS RUN DEEP The rhino population has also sharply declined as poachers harm and kill them to steal their horns for various “you name it” treatments for ailments ranging from impotence and cancer to gout and fever reduction. Historical mentions of rhino horns, which are comprised of keratin (the same substance as human nails), date back thousands of years, PBS noted in a report for "Nature". According to the 16th century Chinese pharmacist Li Shi Chen, the horn could also cure snakebites, hallucinations, typhoid, headaches, carbuncles, vomiting, food poisoning, and “devil possession,” PBS reported.

In traditional Chinese medicine, rhino horn has been mixed with other ingredients to treat fevers. But a 1983 pharmacological study by researchers at the Switzerland-based Hoffman–La Roche showed no evidence it works.

And in 1990, researchers at Chinese University in Hong Kong found that humans would do as well chewing their fingernails to reduce fevers as they would using rhino horn extracts.

In 1993, China banned the trade in rhino horn (and tiger bone) and their medicinal derivatives to address the threat posed by the commercial trade.

The ban included the removal of horns from the official pharmacopeia of China and all manufacturing of it.

But belief in its medicinal properties runs deep, despite evidence to the contrary, and the poaching of rhinos for what TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring group, has called “bogus medicinal use” has continued.

In recent years, black market dealers have pushed the notion of rhino horns

COVID-19

MAD COW DISEA SE

EBOL A + HIV

AVIAN FLU

MERS

H1N1

Six out of every 10 known infectious diseases in people can be spread from animals, and 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals. Known as zoonotic diseases, they are transmitted from animals to other hosts to humans or directly to humans from direct contact through the pet trade, farm animals and slaughter houses, hunting and poaching, and the trade of wildlife in wet markets. More than 32 million have died from these recent zoonotic illnesses above, including at least 318,000 at press time from COVID-19.

SOURCE: CDC, WHO, media reports

as a luxury item that can cure hangovers, even cancer, according to a 2017 Scientific American investigation.

“Popular Vietnamese websites mix unproved medical claims with luxury sales pitches. Slogans compare rhino horn with ‘a luxury car,’ tout its ability to ‘improve concentration and cure hangovers,’ and trumpet [that] ‘rhino horn with wine’ is the alcoholic drink of millionaires,’’ the article noted.

Save the Rhino population counts show that only about 23,000 rhinos remain on Earth, including just 5,000 black rhinos. In South Africa, where most of the world’s rhinos live, more than a thousand have been killed

annually in the past few years, representing an 8,000 percent increase in slayings from about a decade ago.

FoA has worked to protect rhinos, sponsoring legislation in New York and Connecticut that would ban trophy imports of their body parts and prohibit the sale and trade of rhino horns in CT.

MARKETERS, MYTHS AND MIRACLE CURES In recent years, unscrupulous wildlife marketers, forever searching for ways to create new markets, have turned their eye toward giraffes, claiming their bone marrow can cure AIDS

in Africa, a report by Phys.org noted.

And as the ivory market dries up with countries banning their imports, they have moved to targeting elephants for their skins.

The population of elephants— once in the millions—has declined by 90 percent in the past century.

Just 350,000 remain in Africa and less than 50,000 in Asia, according to the Great Elephant Census. Asian elephants are listed as endangered and African elephants as threatened under the ESA. Yet, Asian elephants are being killed and their skins sold to make powdered supplements and beads

Summer/Fall 2020 | 9

SHUT DOWN ‘WET MARKETS’ WORLDWIDE:

peddled in regional markets and on the internet as cures for stomach ailments and skin infections, a study

by Elephant Family revealed. The skins and products made from them are openly sold in Myanmar as well as Guangdong and Fujian provinces in China, the Elephant Family report found. Asian elephant skins were selling for more than $100 per kg and a skin powder for $425.

“There is little doubt that the skin trade is a major and developing threat to Asian elephants across their range,” Elephant Family said in its 2018 report. “The crisis poses a greater threat to Asian elephants than the ivory trade. Moreover, this new trend could easily spread to Africa, as has been seen with other species.”

And while Scanlon, of CITES, kept his criticism to marketers who are “promoting certain wildlife products as having properties that have no association with traditional medicine,” endangered and threatened species continue to be tapped for use in some traditional Eastern medicine.

In 2018, China startled the world and announced it was overturning its 1993 ban on the use of tiger and rhino parts for medicine and healing, prompting outcries from wildlife advocates, including Kenya’s largest

TAKE ACTION

rhino refuge, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which stated: “It is a huge step backwards for wildlife conservation. Although these products have no known medicinal value, the re-legalization has been approved for medical use, and will no doubt place these highly endangered animals under ever more intolerable pressure.”

The outcry prompted China to postpone its decision to lift the ban.

But recently, the Chinese government announced it is initiating a pilot program for elephant skin pharmaceuticals made from African elephants.

TURNING THE TIDE As with all these treatments, there are synthetic and herbal medicines that can be used that don’t require killing any wildlife. For example, aspirin works better on fevers than rhino horns.

To reduce the market for the wildlife medicinal trade, the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine spearheaded a conservation awareness campaign aimed at traditional medicine practitioners and customers both in the U.S. and China.

“Traditional Chinese medicine has a history of 3,000 years and we have

A JOB FOR THE UNITED NATIONS

BY PRISCILLA FERAL

been educating the public for less than 30 years,” Lixin Huang, former president of the college, told Scientific American. “Therefore, this is an ongoing education.”

With estimated total revenues of more than $22 billion a year from the wildlife trade, traffickers will continue to target vulnerable species.

And FoA will continue to fight back, working for protections and educating the public about the dangers posed by the consumption and exploitation of animals.

“There’s no legitimate use for harvesting the body parts of animals to reap revenues for the illicit wildlife trade and profit-hungry pharmaceutical companies. Consumers are being duped and the world’s most vulnerable species are disappearing,’’ said FoA President Priscilla Feral. “We’re committed to ending this trade and living in a world where humans and animals coexist and are not exploited.”

Friends of Animals is enhancing its online content and communication with members as we continue to help protect animals from exploitation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep our members updated, we will be sending weekly news posts, action alerts, and information about our current work via email.

Please take a minute to go to our website and sign up so we can keep in touch and give you the most current information about our work: friendsofanimals.org/news-letter-signup.

10 | Friends of Animals

Editor's note: FoA President Priscilla Feral's op-ed appeared in the New York Daily News on April 6.

T

he underlying circumstances that made the explosive outbreak of today’s COVID19 pandemic possible still exist. If we want to prevent another pandemic, it’s urgent we start eliminating those circumstances, right now. A good place to start would be by shutting down wild animal “wet markets” worldwide.

There is broad consensus that the present pandemic likely emerged from an animal wet market in Wuhan, China. Wet markets are place where wild and domestic animals, alive and dead, are bought and sold as food.

They very commonly are uninspected, poorly regulated, noxiously unsanitary and appallingly cruel. They have repeatedly been identified as the key locations where newly emerging diseases are transmitted from infected animals to humans.

The Chinese authorities, to their credit, realized that such a market was the likeliest source of their epidemic, and moved swiftly to impose a national shut down on all wet markets. Alarmingly, no one else on Earth followed this important example. Wet markets today continue to conduct business as usual around the world—mostly in Asia and Africa. And it is entirely possible that another newly emerging infectious disease is festering in one of them right now.

There is clear and compelling need for collective international action to

shut down all wild animal wet markets worldwide.

The United Nations Security Council is the agency best suited to do this. This is a perfect opportunity to apply the UN Charter’s statement of purpose that seeks to “achieve international cooperation in solving international problems.” Both the UN Secretariat and the World Health Organization have been active in addressing this pandemic. In particular, the UN has created a $2 billion “Global Humanitarian Response Plan COVID-19,” which has many attractive elements that mobilize resources and focus initiative. Unfortunately, the closure of wet markets is not one of them.

Of the 10 countries with the most COVID-19 fatalities, six of them are members of the UN Security Council.

They should be well motivated to initiate action to protect the world from a very conspicuous risk. But will they take the initiative?

COVID-19 is not the only serious zoonotic disease to escape from the genie’s bottle in a wet market. Scores of other deadly sicknesses emerged from these squalid and pestilent markets.

Some may argue that wet markets are important to human livelihoods and nutrition. But these are spurious excuses. Most Asian wet markets are often vanity emporia that specialize in exotic delicacies such as pangolin scales and cobra flesh, and have nothing to do with wholesome nutrition.

Many African wet markets do supply cheap, and usually illegal, “bushmeat” for local people. But this is not a solution to poverty or hunger. And there are several alternatives that are more attractive, such as village vegetable gardens that provide legitimate livelihoods and do not involve cruelty to animals, nor do they contribute to the endangerment of wildlife or destruction of habitat.

There is no need for wet markets, nor for the bushmeat poachers who supply them.

The history of the COVID-19 pandemic eventually will record many inadequacies, irresponsibilities and self-inflicted myopia at many levels. But with prompt action now, the world can prevent the outbreak of the next pandemic and all the suffering and misery that necessarily would accompany it.

Wet markets have been repeatedly identified as critical links between dangerous diseases in wild animals and their transmission to humans. Cutting these links would be a commendable initiative for the UN Security Council to accomplish.

Summer/Fall 2020 | 11

NEWS

TUNING F

INTO THE NATURAL WORLD

BY MEG MCINTIRE

ifteen years ago, if you were to tell me that despite all of the advances in car entertainment systems like Sirius XM and the ability to listen to almost any song or audiobook in the world via Bluetooth, that I’d instead excitedly choose to listen to what are essentially radio talk shows, I wouldn’t have believed you.

But that’s what the discovery of podcasts has done to me (and millions of other people) in a relatively short amount of time. What’s most captivating is the breadth of topics available in the podcasting world. There’s a podcast for just about any interest or hobby you may have, including ones

about pets, wildlife and the environment.

As of 2019, 73 million Americans, or 26% of the U.S. population, listen to podcasts monthly, and 17%, or 48 million people, listen weekly, with both numbers expected to steadily increase, according to PodTrac.

So, what makes podcasts appealing? They combine educational information and entertainment into bitesize chunks that are available right at our fingertips. The episodic format of podcasts allows listeners to delve deeper into many subjects if they want to, when they want to, creating the possibility of following long-form

How podcasts can help you connect with animals and the environment

investigations in a very accessible way.

While many of us cannot afford to take the time to sit down and read a 20k-word article, we can listen to the content in smaller segments throughout the day, especially if it’s presented with great storytelling.

For example, one of my favorite podcasts, "This American Life," has a remarkable ability to bring events to life through thorough, empathetic reporting week after week and packages each episode into three, easyto-listen-to vignettes. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve teared up, smiled and genuinely laughed while listening to an episode.

Another benefit is they can connect you to like-minded people.

Sometimes online communities are created by listeners to share thoughts and opinions about episodes, which is another facet of podcasts that I love.

Here’s a handful of my nature-based favorites, which are sure to be a great companion whether you are driving down the highway, cooking dinner, stuck on a subway, hiking in the great outdoors, simply moving from point A to point B anywhere on the planet or stuck inside during a pandemic.

SPECIES: This is a weekly podcast where the host delves into a different species and aims to tell you who the animals are and why they’re important to our ecosystems. Each episode is a perfect length of about 30 minutes and goes into depth about the abilities and personalities of each species, not just the typical “fast facts.” species.libsyn.com OLOGIES: This is one of my most favorite podcasts and even though not every episode pertains to animals, it’s still very much worth a listen. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward picks a topic for each episode and sits down with an expert to pick

12 | Friends of Animals

their brain and ask them an abundance of thought-provoking questions. Recent episodes about animals include “Bisonology” (the study of the American buffalo) and a really fascinating one called “Lupinology” (the study of wolves) where Princeton Professor Dr. Brigette vonHoldt talked about her research looking at everything from wolf populations to modern dog behavior, canine family dynamics, "Game of Thrones" direwolves, Yellowstone wolfies and the ecological impact of predators. alieward.com/ologies THE CASUAL BIRDER: A great little podcast where an enthusiastic birdwatcher host shares her observations, interviews and bird walks with guests, and stories from listeners around the world. What I enjoy about it is how it portrays birdwatching as a very approachable, interesting hobby and really emphasizes that anyone can get into it—no expensive equipment needed. The best episodes are ones where the host takes her microphone to the streets (or parks) and takes you on an audio tour of the birds she spies with her eagle eyes. casualbirderpod.libsyn.com CAN I PET YOUR DOG?: As a dog owner, I have a lot of fun listening to this podcast. Every Tuesday, dog owner Renee Colvert and puppy owner Alexis Preston talk to guests about their dogs, discuss different pups who they meet each week, and brief you on any relevant dog news.

They also review new dog products, go on assignment to dog events and report back with what you need to know. Listeners also call into the show and leave voicemails with short stories about their own canine companions, which range from hilarious to tear-jerking. maximumfun.org/ podcasts/can-i-pet-your-dog

HUMANATURE: This podcast covers a broad spectrum when it comes to nature, but the hosts from Wyoming Public Media are pros at telling real stories that are meant to encourage reflection on our own place in the natural world. From discussing trail running techniques to following animal migrations across the globe, each episode is a fascinating snapshot of humans interacting with nature.

They are also pros at coming up with titles for their episodes that make you want to tune in—like this one: “A Ballroom Dancer, a Shark and a PR problem.” humanaturepodcast.org LIVING PLANET: If you’re as concerned about climate change as I am, you should listen to Living Planet.

This weekly half-hour radio show tells environmental stories from around the world, from the food we eat to the waste we produce, as well as discussing all creatures great and small. Living Planet explores Earth and the impacts we have on it in ways that are enlightening and sometimes sobering. dw.com/en/living-planet/a-17391076

Editor’s note: Each of these podcasts are available on iTunes, Spotify and in the Google Play App store. You can either search for the podcast name on one of those platforms or use the website listed with each podcast.*

Meg McIntire, pictured here with Rosie and Lucy, is social media editor at FoA. She loves writing about tech trends and pet parenthood.

She lives with her rescued cats Bruce and Cecilia and her rescued dog Harvey.

Summer 2020 | 13

F O A A B R O A D Friends of Animals is forging relationships between African people and wildlife to improve the lives and secure the futures of both.

14 | Friends of Animals

BY NICOLE RIVARD. PHOTOGRAPH BY ISABELLA JUSKOVA

COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM IS THE SILVER BULLET FOR PROTECTING AFRICAN WILDLIFE

J

anis Carter is known as the primate who taught other primates how to survive in the wild.

She was a graduate student in psychology at the University of Oklahoma when she accompanied two chimpanzees being released in the wild in Gambia in 1977 to teach them how to forage for safe foods, communicating through chimp vocalizations.

Two years later, she helped establish a sanctuary for orphaned and captive-born chimpanzees on three islands in River Gambia National Park, known today as the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project (CRP), a conservation project supported by Friends of Animals that has also become a destination offering ecotourists the trip of a lifetime.

Boat expeditions guide people through the river where they will see some of the 129 chimps, who live in four groups, as well as hippos, crocodiles, baboons, red colobus monkeys and more than 240 species of birds.

Carter recognized early on, though, that the support of local villagers was essential to ensure the chimps’ safety.

In the mid 1980s one of the original chimps died, possibly at the hands of a poacher, and Carter realized how little she knew about the people who occupy the villages along the Gambia River. So, she started reaching out to them and to communities in neighboring Senegal and Guinea to educate community leaders about chimpanzee feeding and migration areas to help them direct farming and logging in places they wouldn’t interfere with chimp survival.

She told Smithsonian Magazine in 2005: “The best hope is to forge a relationship between people and chimps living close to them.”

We couldn’t agree more that without the involvement of local people in conservation in Africa, it is impossible to reduce poaching, human-animal conflict or agricultural

encroachment on wildlife habitat.

That’s why we are proud that the CRP channels 10% of tourism profit into local communities. Tourism revenue from last year is being used to purchase a boat so sick villagers can have easier access to a health clinic. CRP also raises money for the Clean Water and Gardens Project, which started in 2012 in four villages. The project consists of constructing a borehole for clean water extraction, establishing a community garden and training community members about horticulture, pump maintenance and business practices.

“These are all measures of improvement of life but also less stress on the environment—giving habitat and wildlife a break,” Carter says.

Between 2012-2014, a total of 13 boreholes and accompanying gardens were provided to villages neighboring the CRP and River Gambia National Park. An estimated 10,000 rural Gambians benefit from the program.

SAFARI CLUB LIES, WILDLIFE DIES Being on the front lines in Africa, Friends of Animals is disgusted that the trophy hunting industry continues to perpetuate the myth to protect itself from public backlash that without them there would be no money for conservation in Africa. Safari Club International, a hunting organization, brings that message to legislators at the same time we are working tirelessly to pass a bill that we drafted that would ban the importation of the trophies of lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes and rhinos into New York and Connecticut.

The fact is, trophy hunting contributes significantly less to economies, job markets and conservation in Botswana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania,

Summer/Fall 2020 | 15

THE CONSERVATION EQUATION THAT DOESN’T ADD UP “The Lion’s Share?” study reveals that the trophy hunting industry inflates its economic contribution in eight African countries. It found that: 1 While overall tourism is between 2.8% and 5.1% of gross domestic product, the total economic contribution of trophy hunters is at most about 0.03% of GDP.

Critically endangered red colobus monkeys scamper around the CRP's mainland campsite, providing a very rare glimpse into their marvelous lives and behaviors.

2 Foreign trophy hunters make up less than 0.1% of tourists on average.

3 The economic contribution of trophy hunting amounts to only 0.78% or less of the $17 billion in overall tourism spending.

4 Trophy hunting tourism employment is only 0.76% or less of average direct tourism employment.

Zambia and Zimbabwe than what is claimed by them, according to the study, “The Lion’s Share?”

The industry ignores the economic importance of the non-consumptive activities like ecotourism that it displaces.

Bertrand Chardonnet, a wildlife vet and protected-areas consultant, revealed the average trophy hunting operator in Tanzania spent $0.08 per 2.5 acres per year, compared with tourism concessions in Kenya’s Maasai Mara paying $40 per 2.5 acres per year in his 2019 report “Africa is changing: Should its protected areas evolve?”

Chardonnet also revealed that in Kenya, which does not permit trophy hunting, tourism recorded a turnover of $2.8 billion in revenue in 2017 for 429,500 direct jobs. In neighboring Tanzania, tourism figures were $1.9 billion and 446,000 direct jobs off 14.5 million acres of tourism areas. By contrast, big game/trophy hunting in Tanzania generated only $30 million in revenue and created 4,300 direct jobs off 50 million acres of hunting areas.

Even if the trophy industry can claim some economic contribution in African countries, it never provides details on how that money provides incentives for greater conservation.

“One cannot automatically conclude that simply because there are economic activities associated with trophy hunting, that this is inherently benefiting conservation,” the “Lion’s Share” says.

TRANSFORMING TRADITIONAL SAFARIS IN AFRICA A recent article in National Geographic Traveler highlights five trends transforming traditional safaris for the better, and that’s the best news for wildlife and humans.

“From emerging wildlife havens to women-led expeditions, safaris in Africa are no longer about hunting big

16 | Friends of Animals

game or having a camera-toting adventure led by male guides. The future of African safaris has arrived,” Costas Christ wrote.

Community action, one of the five trends, is exemplified by the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, located on ancestral land near Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya. The goal is to protect nature and share the Maasai way of life with visitors in a direct and meaningful way, Chairman Samson Parashina told the magazine. Guests stay at Camp ya Kanzi, an eco-lodge located on 283,000 acres of community conservancy land between Tsavo and Amboseli National Park, where zebra, giraffes, antelopes, lions, eland and leopards roam.

FoA caught up with Kenya’s Luca Belpietro, founder of Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, via email to talk about what makes Camp ya Kanzi special.

“The Trust was founded to make sure local communities could benefit economically by the protection of their wilderness and wildlife," Belpietro said, adding that a contributing factor to poaching in Kenya is lack of employment and desperation of poor communities.

Belpietro explained that the Trust was the first in Africa to create a tourism Payment for Ecosystem Service, where each guest pays a daily conservation fee, earmarked to compensate local landlords for livestock losses caused by predators. Consequently, the lion population is thriving.

“We are proud to see that the local Maasai now see wildlife as their asset and are fully engaged in protecting it, as they benefit from it with our education and health programs. In the 21st century, community-based tourism is the silver bullet to protect African wilderness and wildlife,” Belpietro said.

FoA believes community-based tourism combined with shutting down trophy hunting and wild animal "wet markets" worldwide will guarantee a future for African wildlife (see page 11). Poaching in Africa is driven by sophisticated, wealthy criminal syndicates that profit greatly from setting thousands of snares and catching large numbers of animals to supply large-scale markets around the world, principally in Asia.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK Belpietro cautions tourists that not all places that say they are working with communities are telling the truth.

“Ask for international awards or certifications if you are truly interested in making sure your holiday has a positive impact," he said.

At Pathway Safaris in Kenya, one way Director Andrew Mweti ensures his guests can make a positive impact is by partnering with places like the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage and Lewa Conservancy, and offering trips there. Entry fees support local communities. Lewa invests heavily in the livelihoods of its neighbors through education, healthcare, water, micro loans and skills training for women, youth empowerment and more. According to Lewa’s 2018/19 impact report, it invested $1.6 million in community education and livelihoods.

Lewa also provides a haven for the critically endangered black rhino and the endangered Grevy’s zebra, as well as the elephant, lion, giraffe, wild dog and other iconic wildlife species in Kenya.

“It’s amazing observing wild dogs, who are highly social, or impala defending their territories, or the interactions between all monkeys, or the elegant walk of a giraffe, or the tiny dik dik antelope, living as a couple for all their lives,” Belpietro said.

“But what is most awe inspiring is simply having a Pleistocene wilderness with thriving wildlife. It still exists in Africa and we need to protect it, by making sure the local people—who are asked not to farm it, not to ranch it, not to hunt it—have real economic benefits from the active role they can play in its protection.”

Editor’s note: At press time the COVID-19 pandemic had created uncertainty about travel. You can still support the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project by making a donation to Friends of Animals at friendsofanimals.org. To find out more about these destinations for future travel, visit: • Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project, gambia.co.uk/chimp-rehabilitation-project • Camp ya Kanzi, maasai.com • Pathway Safaris, pathwaysafaris.com

Summer/Fall 2020 | 17

BY SERIGNE MODOU MAMOUNE FALL, SOULEYE NDIAYE, RONY MALKA AND BILL CLARK

T

he African Sahel was once an idyllic landscape. Its grassy plains sprawled across 2.2 million square miles of Africa, from Senegal on the Atlantic all the way to the Sudan on the Red Sea. People and wildlife lived in relative harmony on this landscape for tens of thousands of years. In Senegal, where Friends of Animals (FoA) is now partnered with the National Parks Directorate, the Sahel is known locally as the Ferlo.

The Ferlo, as with the rest of the Sahel, was a pristine semi-arid prairie landscape, just south of the intense Sahara. The people here were (and still are) mostly ethnic Fulani, traditional herdsmen with cattle, goats and sheep. Traditionally, the numbers of their livestock were kept in check by the amount of water made available by the limited amount of rain that fell each year from July to September. In many places, depressions and basins in the undulating topography created seasonal ponds that held much of this rainwater well into the dry season. In a few places, there were ponds that continued to hold some water until the following year’s seasonal rains replenished them.

But a family could keep no more livestock than the available water could support. Anyone trying to keep 100 cows in a region that had water for only 50 would face a crisis and much misery. Water was the “limiting factor” for life.

LET YOUR GARDEN GROW FoA is shifting minds & diets in Senegal 18 | Friends of Animals

Summer/Fall 2020 | 19

CREATING HARMONY Gallons of water used to raise one pound of each of the following.

In recent decades, however, some aid agencies were determined to “help” the herdsmen by providing more water. They knew that water had been collecting for many centuries in the great underground reservoirs across the entire Sahel. All they needed to do was sink a good number of boreholes, and there would be plenty of water for everyone. They did just that.

A DOWNWARD SPIRAL Water ceased to be the “limiting factor” for life on the Sahel. It was replaced in that function by vegetation, which became the new limiting factor. A family could now keep as many livestock as they had grasses and shrubs to feed them. Nearly everywhere, this dynamic was pushed to the limit. Herds grew dramatically in size and soon started to over-graze the landscape, exposing the soil to the intense direct heat of the sun, which dried it out. A bit of wind lifted the dust and carried it away. Much of this dust sifted into the lower-lying areas, where the seasonal ponds were located. Settling upon the waters, the dust became mud and sank, making the ponds increasingly shallow. Eventually, those ponds could not hold water into the dry season as well as they previously had. The forces of wind erosion also carried desiccated livestock manure into the ponds, contaminating them with heavy loads of nutrients that stimulated eutrophication.

Matters got worse; the gradual desertification of the Sahel, including the Ferlo, slipped into the dynamics of global climate change. Temperatures now soar to 50 degrees Centigrade (122 degrees Fahrenheit). The annual rains have diminished. The winds

20 | Friends of Animals

have gotten stronger. Life becomes more desperate.

It is a downward spiral that imposes an enormous burden on humans, farm animals and wildlife. Songbirds who have wintered in Africa must fly back to Europe in March and April—but with the ponds drying out earlier than that, they do not have much to drink before flying north across the waterless Sahara.

Who dares to guess the number of fatalities they suffer? It must be in the millions.

Local wildlife suffers. Farm animals have stolen their food.

Silted and contaminated ponds have stolen their water.

SEEDS OF CHANGE The Fulani understand that things must change, or their children will inherit an uninhabitable wasteland of extreme poverty and suffering. They understand over-grazing is a fundamental contributor to the situation.

But they are unwilling to reduce the size of their herds without an alternative to replace them.

FoA has partnered with Senegal’s National Parks Directorate to address this challenge. We are offering an excellent alternative by creating village vegetable gardens as new sources of nutrition. Not only do these productive gardens provide more balanced diets, they will mean fewer animals subjected to the cruelty and trauma of being raised for food.

And fewer livestock on the landscape will diminish the negative impacts of over-grazing and excessive pumping of village wells. This will provide opportunities for habitat rehabilitation and the possibility of restoring the Ferlo to the pleasant landscapes of years gone by.

Opening spread: Members of the Katane Village Women's Cooperative tend to their two-and-a-half-acre vegetable garden, made possible because of a partnership between FoA and Senegal's National Park Directorate. Photo credit: Serigne Modou Mamoune Fall.

Senegal’s Water and Forest Directorate and the United Nation’s Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are also partners in this project—the latter has declared the Ferlo a “Biosphere Reserve.” The government of Senegal has charged the National Parks Directorate to rehabilitate all 8,000 square miles of the Ferlo (an area the size of New Jersey) according to UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve guidelines.

FoA’s task is enormous, but the fruits of success are highly gratifying.

CHANGING ATTITUDES Ultimately, our success is a matter of changing attitudes. Today, sheer numbers of cattle owned are the principal indicators of wealth and status of people in this region. Our cooperative efforts aim to expand from this narrow perspective. Humans create unspeakable misery wherever they turn other animals into consumer goods.

Wealth can instead be measured in a stable and flourishing environment, free of the dust storms linked to over-grazing. Wealth can be measured in a happy and healthy community, in drinking water that is not contaminated, in healthy children being educated and in abundant and productive village gardens.

Our partnership has identified nine communities adjacent to the 12,500-acre Ferlo North Wildlife Reserve. This is where we are planting our gardens. These nine villages, together, are inhabited by 6,716 residents who keep about 4,450 cows and

BEEF

SHEEP

SOY BEANS

EGGPLANT

1,800

1,250

257

43

about 19,500 goats and sheep.

In each community, we partner with the village Women’s Cooperative.

They’re the ones who hold the keys to important decision making. The Women’s Cooperatives appreciate the long-term consequences of the status quo. They understand the need to improve nutrition. They embrace the benefits of having friendly ongoing relations with the park rangers in the neighboring wildlife reserve.

They welcome the rangers’ efforts to provide training in gardening and in water management.

Benevolence and cooperation are becoming increasingly welcomed concepts.

It is important to distinguish between the cattle and the smaller ruminants. Cattle are the region’s “wealth”—cattle are their prestige. A family with 100 cows has greater prestige than a family with only 20. This is a traditional accounting in a conservative community.

Goats and sheep, however, don’t confer much prestige. They are kept

mostly as a source of food.

CREATING HARMONY Every school child in the Ferlo really must learn that it takes about 1,800 gallons of precious water to raise one pound of beef, and about 1,250 gallons of water to raise a pound of sheep or goat. That’s a lot of water that must be pumped out of a gradually depleting well. And what will happen when the well runs dry?

Those same school children should also learn that it takes but 257 gallons of water to raise a pound of soybeans, only 60 gallons to raise a pound of potatoes, and just 43 gallons to raise a pound of eggplant. And their parents must learn the same lesson.

But our gardens will be even more water efficient. That’s because we’re using dripper irrigation, which is very parsimonious with each drop of water, delivering it via a network of carefully designed tubes to each of the individual plants that need hydration.

First gardens are already growing in the communities of Katane and

Ranerou, and the villagers are developing a healthy taste for peppers and onions and tomatoes. And with each pound of potatoes and carrots we put on a family’s table, there is less excuse for the trauma of flesh.

This is part of a grander intention to stimulate a more benevolent relationship with the land and wildlife across the Senegalese Ferlo. Proactive habitat restoration will benefit wildlife, and relations between Ferlo North Wildlife Reserve and the nine villages along its periphery can seek ever greater harmony and friendly relations.

Serigne Modou Mamoune Fall is the curator of Ferlo North Wildlife Reserve, Souleye Ndiaye is the retired director of Senegal National Parks, Rony Malka is the retired deputy director and head of Law Enforcement at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA), and Bill Clark is a retired INPA warden and current FoA senior policy advisor.

Summer/Fall 2020 | 21

“What extremists!” I judged.

BY DUSTIN RHODES. PHOTOGRAPH BY OVERTURE CREATIONS

HOW TO BE LESS TRASHY

22 | Friends of Animals

What I had to admit to myself is that I all of the sudden felt really guilty for being a trashy person who freely used plastic (but I recycled it!) and still slept soundly after throwing away food that didn’t get eaten, even though I do obsess about things no longer working or being useful every time I buy something. Which is to say, I hate throwing things “away” (where, exactly, is away?), but often choose the path of least resistance: denial.

In the past few years I have educated myself about a lot of very hard truths: Plastic is a real problem.

Did you know that only 8.4% of the plastic you put in your recycling bin gets recycled? And did you know the rest ends up in landfills and the ocean? (For a better understanding, watch, “The Great Recycling Con,” video op-ed at nytimes.com/2019/12/09/opinion/recycling-myths. html) Our oceans are filling up with plastic debris, including discarded fishing gear, which is killing sea animals.

As you’ve probably already heard, there is an island of garbage in the Pacific Ocean that’s three times the size of France. Clearly there is a problem with waste, generally.

So, what can we do about it?

I have come to loathe the term Zero Waste because it is a set up for failure, and not possible for most people.

Moral purity, which is very seductive to the human psyche, does not have to be the driving force. But we can all strive to do better.

Summer/Fall 2020 | 23

EARTH MATTERS

A

few years ago, I thought a couple of my close friends had joined a cult; they suddenly identified as part of the “Zero Waste Movement,” which seeks to minimize creating waste as much as possible, with the goal being zero.

I thought this sounded good on paper, but their actions to avoid making trash seemed extreme: no more to-go coffee cups, vegetables wrapped in plastic, cereal that came in boxes or food scraps that didn’t get boiled into homemade broths or composted in the backyard.

They began making toilet bowl cleaner from scratch and sold a car. They aimed to only put out their garbage for collection once per month (and with only the tiniest amount in it).

For instance, we can all use less plastic—even abandon the single-use kind altogether. And we can easily commit to being less wasteful with clothing. The good news is, there are countless ways to be more mindful about the ways we consume.

First and foremost—buy as if nothing gets recycled.

All of us need to abandon our throwaway culture. Below

are 20, mostly easy eco- and animal-friendly ways we can commit to reducing waste and energy consumption—a goal we can all work towards together in 2020, without judging ourselves or each other—which is counterproductive. And by the way, I don’t do all these things perfectly, and some are new to me, too (see bar soap, bar shampoo, fast fashion, et al).

20 TIPS FOR 2020 TO ANIMALS AND

ON THE GO 1. Glass containers instead of plastic ones. Why? Glass is truly recyclable and does not degrade in the recycling process, making it much more environmentally friendly.

2. Always carry a thermal bottle with you that keeps hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold. (Friends of Animals has the perfect one at friendsofanimals.org.) You can completely avoid to-go cups at coffee shops, etc.

BATH & BEAUTY 3. Use bar soap, not body wash. Bar soap is much more eco-friendly than body wash, which requires a lot of packaging and is mostly water anyway. Make sure it’s vegan.

(We love the bar soaps from the companies Fanciful Fox and Meow Meow Tweet: FancifulFox.com and MeowMeowTweet.com) 4. Ever tried a shampoo bar? They don’t require packaging, so they are much better for the environment than their bottled counterparts. Some are formulated with the exact same ingredients as a liquid shampoo—minus the water. One that I highly recommend can be found at hellohibar.

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REDUCE WASTE TO BENEFIT THE PLANET

com. The overall carbon footprint is less with shampoo and conditioner bars—they require less space during transport relative to the same amount of washes with liquid shampoo. Roughly 10 to 15 transport trucks of liquid shampoo would be needed for one transport truck of solid shampoo bars to get the same number of washes.

5. Use a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush instead of a plastic one (available at mainstream retailers like Target).

AT HOME 6. Avoid those pod-based coffee machines; the pods are not recyclable. DO consider a soda machine (which also makes sparkling water), which does reduce waste overall.

7. Avoid buying home cleaners as much as possible and instead make your own. Plain vinegar is fantastic at removing lime scale in coffee makers, on shower heads, in kettles and faucets. Good Housekeeping has a free, do-it-yourself guide to home cleaning products that’s at goodhousekeeping.com/ home/cleaning/tips/a25234/scented-vinegar-cleaners/.

8. Donate your old cell phone to a charity; if it no longer works, find a place in your community that recycles them. Many parts of cell phones are recyclable, but you must make sure they get into the right hands. You can often find out how to recycle cellphones on the manufacturer’s website.

9. Change your lights to LED bulbs, which are the most efficient.

They’re more expensive to buy, but last longer and save more energy, which means they pay for themselves over time.

10. Compost. Food waste ends up in landfills where it produces greenhouse gas emissions. In compost bins, food becomes nutrient-rich soil. Composting is practically effortless. Don’t know where to start? Visit: epa.gov/recycle/ composting-home.

11. Eat more pulses. Pulses are the botanical name for beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas—all of which can be bought dried, in bulk. They are very rich in nutrients and have an extremely low carbon footprint.

12. Instead of plastic wrap, use reusable silicone covers for your food.

These are widely available online and at many grocery stores and kitchen specialty shops.

LIFESTYLE 13. The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of the world’s wastewater and 10% of its emissions.

Steer clear of animal products in clothing, don’t buy “fast fashion” (clothes that are trendy, cheap and low-quality). Aim for things that will last, take care of them, and look for materials like organic cotton, tencil/lyocell (from tree fiber), pinatex (leather-like material from pineapples) and mycelium, which is made from the roots of mushrooms.

14. Adopting a plant-based lifestyle packs the biggest punch when it comes to protecting animals and the environment. FoA has two fantastic cookbooks at friendsofanimals.org full of recipes for everyday cooking and festive holiday occasions throughout the year. (And don't forget to eat your vegan ice cream in a cone to avoid the single-use paper cup and plastic spoon you'll throw out.)

15. Did you know that cigarette butts are the most common ocean pollutant? If you smoke, which we hope you don’t, never throw your cigarettes butts on the ground. Put them in the trash bin or carry a portable ashtray.

(And please quit.)

16. Stay away from cow’s milk.

Non-dairy milks have a much smaller environmental footprint; soy and oat milks have the lowest footprint. But all plantbased milks are superior.

SHOPPING 17. Always bring your own shopping bags. I’ve been using the same Friends of Animals tote bags for almost 10 years, and they still look new. Simply throw them in the wash occasionally (but they last longer if you don’t put them in the dryer).

18. When possible buy dry food in bulk, without packaging; take your own re-usable, washable cloth bulk bags.

19. In the produce aisle, look for unpackaged fruits and vegetables and use your own cloth bags. Tip: You can find cloth bags on the internet with the tare weight sewn onto the bag. If your grocery store doesn’t have a “loose” fruit or vegetable you’re looking for, talk to the store manager about stocking them in the future.

IN YOUR COMMUNITY 20. Get involved! Work to ban singleuse plastics and Styrofoam in your community. Contact your city or town council; get involved with environmental organizations within your community to help reduce and eliminate plastic use.

To see just how much plastic you consume and waste each year, Omni Calculator has developed a Plastics Footprint Calculator, which tracks your usage and how long it will take the plastics to decompose. To keep track of and offset any carbon loads from shopping and deliveries, visit CarbonFootprint.com. Photograph by Mark Boss

Summer/Fall 2020 | 25

IN YOUR BACKYARD SANCTUARY LIFE

D

BY NICOLE RIVARD PHOTOGRAPH BY DREW BROWN

26 | Friends of Animals

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN, SO LET’S BE FROG FRIENDLIER

uring the summers of my childhood, my mom frequently would get after my sister and I to go outside and play. It wasn’t because she had read the Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative, which hadn’t been published yet (I’m currently reading and highly recommend it).

I think it was just easier to tidy the house if we weren’t under foot.

In hindsight, I am eternally grateful she didn’t let us stay indoors glued to a television set or video games.

Because the outdoors is where we built stick forts in the woods, discovered the smell and texture of skunk cabbage and ferns, encountered daddy long leg spiders, snakes, chipmunks, birds, salamanders and our all-time favorites—frogs and toads. The pond in our backyard provided the perfect habitat for them and families of ducks too.

It was fascinating to see frog eggs hatch into tadpoles, tadpoles grow two front legs and their tales grow shorter and shorter until they became adults.

Then their croaking serenaded us during our night swimming adventures. Speaking of which, we rescued many amphibians who couldn’t get out of the swimming pool after they chose to dive in. (These days my parents have the Frog Log, a floating platform so wildlife can climb out on their own.)

I hadn’t thought about my love of frogs until I saw the article, “Kicking it with Frogs,” in a recent issue of National Geographic. I was dumbfounded to learn about frog-spotting—like birdwatching but with frogs—and decided I must add a trip

to Costa Rica to my bucket list, right after “trip to Africa.”

The article explained that like birders, frog spotters have lists and their own jargon. They keep odd hours, swat at mosquitoes and wear close-toed shoes to prevent snake bites.

I had to know more. So, I reached out to Save the Frogs, the California-based amphibian conservation nonprofit that organizes the ecotours in Costa Rica and educates people about the plight of amphibians worldwide.

What I learned from founder/ ecologist Kerry Kriger is that people describe his frog spotting trips as lifechanging. He gets a lot of repeat guests.

“They are really well organized,” he said, “but really nature does most of it for us. We just get people into really beautiful places with a lot of wildlife.”

Kriger also taught me why frogs matter, why the world is rapidly losing frogs and what we can do to protect them in our own backyards.

Frogs are bioindicators, living organisms that are sensitive to changes in their environment, so they give us an idea of the health of an ecosystem. The frogs and toads meant that my family and I had a thriving backyard ecosystem, Kriger explained.

They are both predator and prey, so many animals are affected by them. They are prey for birds, snakes,

raccoons, foxes, otters, opossums, turtles and even fish.

Frogs (and toads too) keep a check on flies and mosquitoes, who act as disease vectors and spread diseases to humans.

What gardeners should know is that frogs eat the bugs—more than 100 beetles, cutworms, grubs and slugs a day and 10,000 during a garden season—that prompt people who want the perfect garden to use a variety of pesticides.

Unfortunately, people don’t know this and instead of trying to attract more amphibians, they opt for more pesticides. And then it becomes not so easy being green—pesticides are one of the biggest threats to frogs along with habitat destruction from human development, the pet trade, medicine and human consumption.

FROGS ARE BIOINDICATORS, LIVING ORGANISMS THAT ARE SENSITIVE TO CHANGES IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT, SO THEY GIVE US AN IDEA OF THE HEALTH OF AN ECOSYSTEM. Kiger, who has campaigned to get the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the herbicide atrazine, explains that pesticides and herbicides are toxic chemicals that generally undergo little to no testing on amphibians prior to their being approved for use. But many end up in waterways, where amphibians live and breed.

The California red-legged frog is one of the 10 U.S. species most threatened by pesticide use, according to the Endangered Species Coali-

Summer/Fall 2020 | 27

CREATE A POND. You can purchase free-form or pre-formed liners at places like Home Depot. Cement is also an option as a pond liner. Learn more here: nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Water/ Backyard-Ponds.

CREATE/BUY A TOAD ABODE. A toad abode is a small ceramic house. You can purchase one on Amazon.com or simply turn a ceramic flowerpot upside down and prop it up with a rock so the toad can get in and out. Toads like to dig so no floor is necessary. Place your toad abode in a shady spot near a water source, such as a small pond or even a large saucer of water.

BUILD YOUR OWN WETLAND. Unlike a pond a wetland can be seasonal. Survey your property for a relatively flat area, with a slope of less than 6 percent. To retain water you can: rely on preexisting ground water that fills the hole you dig naturally; use high-clay soil that you then compact to retain surface water much like a bowl; or use an aquatic-safe plastic liner.

To determine whether you can rely on groundwater, dig a hole at least three feet deep and cover it with a board.

If the hole is filled with water the next day, you’ll be able to build your wetland simply by expanding the hole into a wetland. If no water fills your test hole, take a handful of soil from underneath the topsoil and add water. Mix until it is a moist ball, then use your thumb and index finger to squeeze out a thin ribbon of soil. If you succeed in making a 2-inch ribbon, then you can compact the clay, which will make the soil impervious and enable it to fill when the next rains come. If the soil breaks before 2 inches in length, it does not have enough clay for it to hold water and you’ll need to use a liner. Planting native plants around the edge of the new wetland will prevent erosion and help exclude invasive species. Before you start digging, check with the local municipality to see if any permits are needed and check for buried utilities. Visit savethefrogs.com for more info.

tion’s latest annual report. Atrazine, one of the most commonly used herbicides in the U.S.—around 80 million pounds are applied annually to agricultural products—is one of the chemicals that is threatening these frogs, who are especially vulnerable because their skins are permeable and ingestion happens all over their bodies. Atrazine, an endocrine disruptor, can cause hermaphroditism in frogs (males grow female sex organs), alter neurotransmitters and stunt growth, cause deformities, and reduce survivorship in salamanders.

Atrazine also affects water quality in lakes, resulting in more snails. These snails serve as intermediary hosts of a trematode parasite that burrows into the developing limbs of tadpoles and causes malformations. Research also shows that the pesticide Roundup is lethal to the gray treefrog and leopard frog tadpoles. In addition to not using pesticides and herbicides and instead opting for organic lawn and garden care—I promise it will still look beautiful—try some of the suggestions at left to attract frogs and toads to your yard.

Nicole Rivard is editor of Friends of Animal’s quarterly magazine Action Line. She brings 24 years of journalism experience to the front lines, protesting and documenting atrocities against domestic and wild animals.

If you build it, they will come, Kiger says. And that means you can do some frog spotting right in your own backyard, all while you’re planning your trip to Costa Rica when it's safe to travel again.

28 | Friends of Animals

NEWS

BE FROG-FRIENDLY FOA INSPIRES PEOPLE TO JOIN THE CHANGE ONE LAWN AT A TIME

BY NICOLE RIVARD

I

n the springtime in Darien, Connecticut—where Friends of Animals (FoA) is headquartered—and surrounding communities, it is alarming to see the number of bright yellow pesticide application signs on lawns, displayed proudly as if they were something beautiful, like the lovely daffodils that dot the landscape around them.

In the past, a well-manicured lawn was a status symbol, representing pride in home ownership. But those pesticide signs are actually badges of dishonor.

At FoA, we know that using toxic pesticides and herbicides puts kids, pets, pollinators and wildlife in harm’s way. Without bees, butterflies,

"Our lives have more meaning when we rescue ourselves, and model the leadership and initiatives we hope to see across the state, nation and globe, which is why I started the effort in my own community, to show how it’s done for gardeners, environmentalists and other activists," PRISCILLA FERAL

d m any nie lle re sc ue er sister Da pe t h st d fir an r t) ei ef th e (l po ol . Here g in As k ids Nic ol po nd. m e im th free in th ei r sw frog s from ey se t th em th re fo be lo h el G olde n says

insects and birds there would be no healthy ecosystems, there would be no us. We also know that organic lawn care is not just done on a whim. It’s truly science based, and as a result it’s affordable, doable and effective.

That’s why this year we launched Pesticide Free Rowayton to encourage residents of Rowayton, the hometown of FoA President Priscilla Feral, to go pesticide free one lawn at a time. While state legislation we support has been introduced that would ban chlorpyrifos, we feel it isn’t broad enough and that we can’t wait for any bureaucratic government entity to do something.

“Our lives have more meaning when we rescue ourselves, and model the leadership and initiatives we

hope to see across the state, nation and globe, which is why I started the effort in my own community, to show how it’s done for gardeners, environmentalists and other activists,” Feral said. “If one cherishes birds, pollinators and healthy water, food and landscapes, we’re mindful of using organics, and avoiding toxic chemicals that used to be unquestioned.”

FoA sent out a mailing to residents to help them transition to non-toxic, beautiful lawns to provide greater benefit to their families and nature. And we’ve launched a Facebook page for people to share tips, articles and information about their own experiences. When it’s safe to for people to gather again, we plan to host activities that will continue to educate the community.

Back in 2012, Feral led the charge to get the three elected commissioners who run Rowayton to stop using pesticides on public land areas. She encourages FoA members to start a pesticide-free movement in their own communities.

“By not using pesticides and planting native plants, you can keep insects on the ground, in the air and on your plants and protect wildlife. Now that’s something to be proud of,” Feral said.

Summer 2020 | 29

You can set an excellent example for your neighbors by taking these steps recommended by Beyond Pesticides (beyondpesticides.org):

lions love soil with a 7.5 pH, while most grass varieties prefer a pH of 6.7 - 7.0. Lime will raise the pH while sulfur will lower the pH.

• Test soil to learn what needs to be added and if the pH needs to be adjusted through the Cooperative Extension Service of a state university or soil lab. Ask for organic fertilizer options. Lawns should have between 5”-6” of topsoil, which is the darkest soil layer.

• You can find out which grass is most suitable to your climate from your local cooperative extension.

Planting additional seeds in already established lawns can reduce weed problems.

• Learn to read signals. If clover is taking over, chances are the soil is lacking nitrogen and needs fertilizer. Watch for hints of pH imbalance such as dandelions (although do know that dandelions provide pollinators with nutrition). Dande-

• Aerate the lawn twice a year to allow air, water and nutrients to reach the roots of the grass. You can rent an aerator and share costs with neighbors.

root zone and be nearly dry before watered again.

• Mow with sharp blades set to 3” and frequently enough to keep weeds at bay. Weeds can also be pulled by hand or sprayed with horticultural vinegar. Corn gluten meal is an excellent pre-emergent.

Visit friendsofanimals.org and Pestifice Free Rowayton's Facebook page to find out about alternatives to pesticides for tick management and other tips.

• Water properly. Enough water should be applied each time to wet the soil to the depth of the grass

LETTERS THE PROBLEM WITH INSOLUBLE FIBER

A PESTICIDE-FREE, BUGFRIENDLY BACKYARD

You make a good argument for eating plant food rather than animal food — but your argument does not take into account the condition of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Bowels of a person with IBS cannot tolerate insoluble fiber. Most vegetables and fruits, nuts, whole grains, many spices — foods that normally are healthful — contain insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is beneficial.

Thus, persons with IBS are limited to refined wheat flour, fish, chicken, beef, rice, root vegetables, and normally milk products, though tolerances do vary. Also, the plainer the food, the better.

MARY JANE PENZO • VIA EMAIL

A belated but great thanks for your lifechanging article, “We must restore the little things who run the world” in the Summer 2019 issue of Action Line. After reading it several times it opened my eyes to a part of the world before unseen. I’ve even given copies to my lawn care guys and local nurseries.

Our 1/2-acre yard is now totally pesticide and chemical free, new birdfeeders put out, dandelions retained for new bees.

Even the ants are left undisturbed as they build external mounds, extracting dirt from their new underground tunnels.

Thanks for a fabulous and helpful article.

SANDRA RAKESTRAW • CA

30 | Friends of Animals

CHEERS

JEERS

SERENA WILLIAMS LAUNCHES VEGAN FASHION COLLECTION

NEW YORK CITY CARRIAGE HORSES DESERVE BETTER

Cheers to Serena Williams, one of the most inspirational athletes in the world, a working mother and a savvy business woman, who recently introduced a spring fashion line influenced by African wildlife and heavily featuring vegan leather.

In an interview with Essence, Williams was asked what the creative direction was behind her latest collection and she replied: “It was a fashion passport.

I was thinking of some of my favorite places to travel, which ultimately when I thought about it, was Africa.

That’s where I got the giraffe print from. And then also the vegan leather because I feel like a lot of things are being killed and we’re not saving the earth. We can all just do one small thing and help out so that was also a lot of our inspiration.”

The new clothing line includes vegan leather minidresses, giraffe printed sweaters and casual work pieces like blazers and body-hugging “dress pants.”

Williams shared her enthusiasm for one of her favorite pieces: “I just feel like giraffe is the new leopard—I mean, at least I’m trying to make it the new leopard!”

We’re glad to see Williams committed to a vegan lifestyle, not just a vegan diet.

IWCC DISMANTLED

LET’S HEAR FROM YOU! MAIL US: Editor, Action Line Friends of Animals 777 Post Road Darien, CT 06820 E-MAIL US: contact@friendsofanimals.org

Cheers to the end of the International Wildlife Conservation Council. In February, the Department of Interior noted in a court filing that it would not be renewing the charter for the IWCC, a council dedicated to the exact opposite of its name. Instead of conservation, the council was tasked with removing barriers to the importation of trophy-hunted animals, reversing suspensions on bans on trade of wildlife and promoting hunting.

The council was the brainchild of former DOI Secretary Ryan Zinke. Despite more than 16,000 comments filed against its formation, DOI went ahead and stacked the commission with pro-hunting advocates, even though the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act requires all federally appointed advisory panels be comprised of a balanced and objective array of members. Zinke, who resigned in December 2018 amid a conflict-of-interest probe, received $10,000 from Safari Club International, a hunting organization, for his 2016 Congressional campaign.

Friends of Animals filed comments in March 2018 with the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service against the council. The news of the commission’s demise came in a court filing in a case against its inception brought by environmental and animal rights groups.

Unfortunately, like many people, we’ve seen the heart-wrenching video of a NYC carriage horse—12year-old chestnut mare named Aisha— suffering over a 15-minute period after collapsing in Central Park before she had to be euthanized in March.

This latest incident underscores what Friends of Animals has been saying for decades. You cannot regulate atrocities as some other horse advocates would like you to believe. The only equitable, sensible and humane solution is to shut down the industry; save the horses and take them to sanctuaries; and for the city and carriage drivers to come to an agreement about the creation of new jobs.

In 2018, Mayor de Blasio’s administration restricted the carriages from picking up passengers outside of the park. Last year, the City Council passed a bill to prevent carriage horses from working on hot days or humid days when the air temperature is 90 or above or the equine heat index is 150 or above.

Those regulations meant nothing to Aisha. Including Aisha, three carriage horses have died so far this year, according The New York Times, two of them euthanized after contracting colic, a gastrointestinal condition which can range from an impaction to a twist in the colon or small intestine.

We are disgusted by disingenuous ploys to let people think that regulations are making a big difference to the horses. They are not. The horses still travel to and from their stables on the busy streets of New York City where most of the accidents occur. The drivers still make illegal U-turns to access the hack lines and still ignore existing regulations such as leaving their horses unattended because humane law enforcement is nonexistent. Horses are still robbed of daily turnout, which is necessary for their health and happiness. Various studies link pasture time to stronger bones, better respiratory health, reduced colic risk and lower stress levels. Turnout gives horses a chance to fill their need for social contact with other horses—such as mutually grooming each other’s backs.

Summer 2020 | 31

Leaving a legacy of compassion

IN MEMORIAM

BY DUSTIN RHODES

Friends of Animals has received kind donations in memory of the following individuals:

S

teven Williams loved two things passionately and equally: music and animals—especially his two rescued, sibling schnauzers Max and Willie.

Williams died, surrounded by family and friends, in December 2019. He was wickedly funny, kind, extraordinarily talented, humble, passionate and compassionate.

His generosity to Friends of Animals ensures that his compassion lives on through our programs and advocacy.

Williams first became a Friends of Animals member in 2015—initially intrigued by our work to protect wild horses on federal public lands. At that time, he didn’t know we managed Primarily Primates, our sanctuary in San Antonio, Texas, which currently provides lifetime care for about 320 animals.

As it turns out, as a child Williams had ordered a squirrel monkey from the back of an issue of Boys' Life magazine, a common phenomenon in those days. While he was delighted to receive the primate in the mail and vowed to take exceptional care of his new pet, it didn’t take long for Williams to realize, even at such a young age, that primates were not meant to be pets. The small monkey ended up biting his sister rather badly and no one could handle him except Williams. Luckily, he eventually was able to place the monkey at a local sanctuary.

“I have felt bad about that purchase my whole life and have always wanted to make it right,” Williams told me.

Supporting Friends of Animals and our primate sanctuary helped absolve his guilt and make him feel like he was making a positive difference in the world for animals, he said. Williams became a passionate

32 | Friends of Animals

supporter of Primarily Primates’ work, and just last Easter bought a dozen of the hand-painted wooden eggs we sold as a fundraiser. He gave each of them as gifts to friends—making them promise they would display them and explain to friends and family that they were painted by a rescued chimpanzee, in hopes that they, too, would become supporters.

Williams was an extremely gifted musician who received a doctorate in organ performance, spending his entire career teaching music to college students at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina.

Unfortunately, his retirement came a few years early after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Rather than live in denial of his diagnosis, Williams immediately met with an estate attorney to make sure his will reflected his twin passions. He set up a trust for his two dogs, and found a loving family that agreed to take his dogs after his death; he left money for a children’s music scholarship; and he left a sizable bequest to Friends of Animals. The money will enable FoA to continue to help primates at our sanctuary and educate the public about how vivisection, the entertainment industry and the exotic pet trade exploit primates. Williams felt that educating the public was an important component of ending the exotic pet trade.

If you’d like to know more about how to include Friends of Animals in your own estate plans, please contact Dustin Rhodes, our vice president for development, at dustin@friendsofanimals.org or (203) 656-1522.

DANIEL LAGONIGRO

SADIE A. SELLERS

POOKIE

RON LEBOW

ALESSANDRO CAPPUCCIO

KIAMI

STANLEY GLICK

MARY MARKO GASKER

PORTHOS

SUSANNA GOLDMAN

ALYSSA HEDRIC AND HER BABY BROTHERS

“FRANKIE” GIROLOMO

CHANDLER R. WILLIAMS

RACHEL NUSSBAUM

MY SWEET HORSE BEAUTY, R.I.P.

FRANKIE

ALL THE ANIMALS WHO HAVE BEEN EXPLOITED/ABUSED BY HUMANS

JAYNE WILLETT-CASEY ANNA TOOLE DAISY HAWKINS CAROL ROMAN JOAN SMITHERS LINDA GALYON SHIRLEY BENNETT HALLIE SELF EDWARD J. ANDERSON

WINDY GRENDEL LADY KODIAK GYPSY NITRO SQUIRRELLY

Summer/Fall 2020 | 33

SPARE AN ANIMAL T-SHIRT

FOA LIGHTWEIGHT HOODIE

ROYAL BLUE OUT TO LUNCH BAG

FLIP OFF FUR T-SHIRT

High-quality 100% combed cotton shirt in black. Available in women’s sizes S, M, L, XL. Men’s sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL.

Unisex tri-blend full-zip lightweight hoodie. Modern fit, hood, front zip, and kangaroo pockets. Designed with a soft refined ribbed triblend fabric. Available in XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL.

Insulated bag with Velcro closure and a handle to carry your meat-free lunch. Measures 10”H x 7”W x 4.5”L.

"Don't be comfortable in their skin."

Polyester-Cotton-Rayon blend. Unisex sizes XS, S, M, L, XL.

$14

$24 including shipping

$14 including shipping

$36 including shipping

CATALOG ORDER FORM

SEND TO: Friends Of Animals, P.O. Box 150451 Hartford, Connecticut 06115-0451 PLEASE ALLOW 3-4 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY and make sure to include a phone number and email so if there is a problem with an order we can get in touch with you. Twenty-five percent of the total sale price of your purchase will help fund Friends of Animals’ programs. Please note we do not ship outside the U.S. NAME

ADDRESS

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CITY

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ZIP

QUANTITY ITEM DESCRIPTION / COLOR

SIZE

My check or money order payable to Friends of Animals is enclosed Please charge my:

Visa

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GENDER

TOTAL MERCHANDISE ORDER _________________

Discover

LOVE ANIMALS. “BEE” VEGAN PIN

ANTI-FUR PIN

/

Show off your love for your vegan lifestyle with our new “Love Animals. ‘Bee’ Vegan.” pin.

Help get the message across this season.

Pin and stickers are 1.5".

ACCOUNT NUMBER

EXPIRATION DATE

$2

Pins: $1 each - Stickers: 50 for $2

DONATION ENCLOSED _________________

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED _________________

SIGNATURE For your convenience, you may fax your credit card order to: 203–656–0267 or shop online at www.friendsofanimals.org.

34 | Friends of Animals

TOTAL PRICE

THANK YOU!

Non-profit Org. US Postage P A I D Friends of Animals

777 Post Road • Darien, CT 06820

FOA INSULATED REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE Matte Black or Blue Shows your commitment to spay-neuter and animal adoption BPA- free, lead-free, chip resistant, leak proof and easy to clean 18/8 Stainless Steel construction, custom-made by Klean Kanteen ® Electropolished interior, a safe and non-toxic process Holds 20 oz. Double-wall vacuum insulation keeps drinks hot for 20 hours and iced for 50 hours Hand washing is recommended for all insulated products $34 including shipping

We know our members care about animals and the environment—so we created our new reusable “Don’t Litter” water bottle with that it mind. You can show your support for FoA’s spay-neuter program, which has reached more than 2.7 million cats and dogs, while breaking the single-use plastic habit—a win-win for human and non-human animals.

$34 INCLUDING SHIPPING MATTE BLACK OR BLUE • Shows your commitment to spay-neuter and animal adoption • BPA- free, lead-free, chip resistant, leak proof and easy to clean • 18/8 Stainless Steel construction, custom-made by Klean Kanteen ® • Electropolished interior, a safe and non-toxic process • Holds 20 oz. Double-wall vacuum insulation keeps drinks hot for 20 hours and iced for 50 hours • Hand washing is recommended for all insulated products