Humane Blaine Pet Store Ordinance
In 2022, Queschen M. and her daughter Bella purchased their puppy Lulu, from Four Paws and A Tail, a pet store located in the city of Blaine. Lulu was sick a few days after purchase and had to be euthanized a month later; she was diagnosed with hypoglycemia (common with toy breeds sold through pet stores) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain; an inheritable disease, often due to unhealthy breeding dogs or poor conditions). Lulu was bred by a dog breeder in Wisconsin: Miller Kennel, USDA license # 35-A-0376. This situation is not an isolated case.
ARC’s Go Humane Blaine coalition has been working behind the scenes, gathering information, requesting state records, talking to folks who have purchased sick puppies, and attending city council meetings to raise awareness about puppy mill puppies being sold in Blaine. ARC and Lulu’s family would love your support on this petition, so this injustice doesn’t happen to other families and dogs. If you’d like to get involved in this campaign, send us an email at gohumaneblaine@gmail.com.
Sign the petition: http://www.gohumaneblaine.com/take-action-sign-petition.html
Follow Minnesotan’s Exposing the Pet Trade on Facebook for news and updates: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057607301282
Advocating for Animals Since 1980
Support the cause of compassion! Join us in making a difference for our animal friends by contributing to the Animal Rights Coalition through GiveMN this November. Your donation empowers us to advocate for and protect the rights of animals across Minnesota. Together let’s create a more humane world.
Your donation today will be matched by an anonymous patron up to $10,000!
Did you know you can TRIPLE your impact? Many employers offer matching gift programs that can double your donation to ARC. Matching gifts allow generous donations to go twice as far for our goal of ending the suffering, abuse, and exploitation of non-human animals through information, education, and advocacy. And it’s easy to request a match?. Check with your HR department to see if your employer participates.
Donate now at GiveMN: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Animal-Rights-Coalition
ARC’s 28th Annual Friendsgiving Potluck
Join ARC for the 28th Annual Turkey-Free Friendsgiving Potluck on Sunday, November 12th, from 4:00-6:00 pm! This is a wonderful event to bring your friends and family to and show them how delicious vegan holiday eating can be. You do not have to be vegan or vegetarian to attend, but please bring a vegan dish to share! Beverages will be provided, along with a variety of vegan cheeses and vegan turkey roasts to sample.
We are looking forward to sharing a special meal with all of our friends, longtime and brand new! Location is Living Spirit United Methodist Church, 4501 Bloomington Ave. in Minneapolis. Please RSVP so we know how many people to expect: https://fb.me/e/1y3wvLDh0
If you’re interested in volunteering, help is needed to set up before, staff the plant-based cheese table and kids table, greet people as they enter, take photos, help the dishwasher, and clean up at the end.
Join ARC on Slack!
All members of the Animal Rights Coalition are encouraged to join Slack, a simple and incredibly useful instant messaging app. Slack has transformed the way organizations communicate. We’re offering Slack as the simplest and most effective way for volunteers to connect and build an online community of animal activists in Minnesota!
Using Slack, you can get automatic updates on upcoming events, receive calls to action right from your phone, ask advice, and start conversations about your volunteer experiences with ARC and other volunteers just like you – instantly!
Curious if an event is canceled due to the weather? Looking for someone to carpool with to a protest? Not sure where to find our group for your volunteer shift? Just head over to Slack and ask your network instantly! By abandoning long email chains and opening up the conversation, we can bring more people to the table and get quicker and more efficient results.
Join in the conversation now by signing up as a volunteer with ARC!
Support Our Cause: Give Cows a Voice at the MN State Fair
As many of you are aware, the Animal Rights Coalition has an ongoing campaign against the inhumane treatment of cows at the Minnesota State Fair. To make a lasting impact and raise awareness, we are planning a powerful protest in the form of a mobile billboard during the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. This billboard will display eye-catching visuals and thought-provoking messages that shed light on the treatment of cows and encourage fairgoers to consider the ethical implications of their choices. But we can’t do this without your help. The cost of renting a mobile billboard is substantial, and that’s where your support comes in. Your generous contribution will directly contribute to our ability to make a difference and spark conversations that matter.
An anonymous donor has pledged to match the first $500 in donations. Our goal is $10,000. Your financial support will go directly toward funding the mobile billboard campaign. Every dollar brings us closer to our goal. Your donation will not only support the cows but also contribute to a more compassionate world where all animals are treated with kindness and dignity. Together we can make a difference for cows and raise awareness about their treatment at the Minnesota State Fair.
To donate click here and in the dedication box, type ‘billboard.’
Click here to see how many people we impacted in 2023.
Oppose the EATS Act Now!
A proposed bill, known as the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act (H.R. 4417/ S. 2019), could strip states and localities of their right to impose standards or conditions on the production or manufacturing of agricultural products sold or offered for sale in interstate commerce when those standards differ from federal law or the laws of other states.
The EATS Act would effectively strip states of any power to regulate the kind of agricultural products that enter their borders, imperiling progressive legislation that targets puppy mills, animal testing, farmed animals, the wildlife trade, pesticide use, chemicals in baby food, pollution, and many other laws designed to protect public health and safety.
Read more about the EATS Act at the Animal Legal Defense Fund, then contact your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators and urge them to oppose the EATS Act (H.R. 4417 / S. 2019) now!
Abuse is Not Entertainment
ADI previously released a video about the suffering behind the rides, ‘No Fun for Elephants’, with award-winning TV legend Bob Barker, who observed: “To many, it looks like harmless fun, but elephants pay a heavy price for the few minutes of entertainment they provide when giving rides. Isn’t it especially tragic when animals are suffering and being abused simply to entertain us?” The video includes shocking scenes of violence during training and handling of elephants supplied by Trunks and Humps of Conroe, TX, and Have Trunk Will Travel (previously of Perris, CA, and now operating as The Preserve in Fredericksburg, TX).
The Animal Rights Coalition urge Scott County Commissioners and the MN Renaissance Festival to no longer allow elephant and camel rides at this year’s festival and all future events. Elephant rides have been abandoned by organizers of several events after boards viewed the evidence, including Kansas City Renaissance Festival, the city of Fountain Valley, CA, Santa Ana Zoo, and Orange County, Kern County, San Diego County, Nevada County, and Los Angeles County Fairs. We are confident that if the public are given the facts and understand the cost to the animals, they will say “no” to the suffering.
You can help by writing a polite message to the festival owner asking him to make it their policy not to have performing elephants or other animals.
Minnesota Renaissance Festival:
Contact: Jim Peterson, Owner of Mid-America Festivals
Address: 1244 South Canterbury Road, Shakopee, MN 55379
Email: info@renaissancefest.com
Phone: 612-332-5600
Film – No Fun For Elephants: https://youtu.be/QYjrjQ_SGAk
Sign the petition to end the use of elephants as entertainment at the MN Renaissance Festival: https://www.change.org/p/jim-peterson-end-the-use-of-elephants-as-an-entertainment-in-the-minnesota-renaissance-festival
ARC Joins Coalition Against Farmed Animal Exhibitions at Fairs
More than 15 sanctuaries and advocacy organizations for farmed animals across the country are joining a coalition to oppose the exhibition and use of animals at state and county fairs this summer.
Woodstock Farm Sanctuary started the coalition in 2022 after representatives attended local and state fairs in New York to witness and report on what happened to animals on display. The coalition seeks to educate the public about the treatment of farmed animals at agricultural fairs and offer advocacy opportunities that supporters can implement in their own communities.
The Animal Rights Coalition joined the coalition in 2022, announcing the launch of our MNFairWatch.org website. We protested in front of the MN fairgrounds with TV outreach, handed out plant-based Babybel cheese and literature about the dairy industry to fairgoers, and displayed a banner showing why “Cow’s Milk Hurts.”
Join ARC to advocate for animals at the MN State Fair this year!
- 8/20: Open Streets Cedar Riverside TV Outreach
- 8/23: State Fair Chalktivism
- 8/24: State Fair 94 Bridge Outreach
- 8/26: State Fair TV Outreach
- 8/27: State Fair Food Sampling
- 8/29: State Fair 94 Bridge Outreach
- 9/04: State Fair TV Outreach and Food Sampling
View and sign up for volunteer opportunities on ARC’s Volunteer Network.
We also encourage supporters to contact their local fair sponsors to tell them why they won’t be attending the fair and write letters to local newspapers to shed light on the realities for farmed animals at state and county fairs.