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Update: Huge thanks to Celeste Hill and Melissa Swanson, World Wide Vegan Bake Sale – Twin Cities Style organizers, and all the volunteers who staffed the sale. Because of all your hard work we raised over $850 for animal advocacy programs in Minnesota. We were also thrilled at the many new people who stopped in who were considering a vegan diet and wanted to learn more about it.

Don’t miss the World Wide Vegan Bake Sale – Twin Cities Style on Saturday, April 21 at Ethique Nouveau, 317 West 48th St. in Minneapolis. All are welcome! It’s baketivism at its most awesome. All proceeds go to support the Animal Rights Coalition’s animal rights advocacy in Minnesota. (ARC is also the group that keeps Minneapolis Vegan Meetup going, BTW.)

Delight in the wide assortment of amazing vegan goodies – all the delish, none of the effort! Make sure to bring a container to tote home all the homemade goodness. A human who is able to stick to buying “just one” treat at our extravaganza of sweetness doesn’t seem to actually exist. Never been to one of our Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale events? Make plans to attend as it’s not to be missed! We kick off at 10am and the sale runs until 4pm. That’s 6 whole hours of deliciousness!

ARC’s Forego Foie Gras campaign received a grant from the Humane Research Council to research attitudes toward foie gras among Twin Cities diners. The results of the survey overwhelmingly prove that Minnesotans oppose this cruel product and prefer to patronize foie gras free establishments. Three-quarters (74%) of Twin Cities residents support a ban on foie gras production in the state of Minnesota, and after learning about how foie gras is produced, nearly half (45%) of respondents said they would avoid dining at restaurants that serve foie gras. Read more about the survey results.

Senate File (S.F.) 462 and House File (H.F.) 702, known as the Dog and Cat Regulation Bill, were the bills introduced in 2011 for the 2011-2012 Minnesota Legislative Session to license and regulate commercial dog and cat breeders in Minnesota. The session ended on May 10, 2012 and neither bill was granted a hearing. The bills did not progress and were not voted on. A new bill to license and regulate commercial dog and cat breeders will be introduced in January 2013 for the 2013-2014 Minnesota Legislative Session.

Even though the 2011-2012 session has ended, legislators still welcome input from constituents during the interim. Please know that re-districting and the upcoming November 2012 election may change who represents you. Find contact information for your legislators and call, write or email them. Tell them you’re a constituent and are contacting them about inhumane dog and cat breeding in the State of Minnesota and the fact that Minnesota has no state laws to regulate commercial dog and cat breeders. Ask them to support legislation to license, inspect, and enforce standards of care for commercial dog and cat breeders in Minnesota. Read more about this issue and puppy and kitten mills in Minnesota here.

On Saturday, March 31 from 10:30am to 2:30pm, the Animal Rights Coalition is joining Whole Foods Market in Minnetonka (1001 Plymouth Road, Minnetonka, MN) to create a day dedicated to sampling and learning about vegan food and the importance of compassion towards animals.
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By popular demand, here is the recipe for the the delicious and easy to make White Chili with Homemade Tortilla Chips & Cilantro/Lime Mock Sour Cream served at the December ARC holiday open house by Rhymes With Vegan Chef Meagan Holtgrewe, and the Layered Vegan Taco Dip and Mini Taco Salads that were served. Enjoy!

As interest in “urban farming” spreads, many cities are considering letting residents keep chickens. This presents challenges regarding the quality of their care and will likely lead to a huge increase in abandoned birds. Minneapolis currently tolerates wanton breeding, swapping, and backyard slaughter, all of which are being actively promoted by local urban farming enthusiasts. ARC and Chicken Run Rescue encourage you to take an active role in advocating for chickens and other domestic fowl as this trend continues (view the CRR brochure for more information).
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As the media pay increased attention to the abuses occurring at large-scale animal farming operations, consumers are seeking alternatives. Labels such as “Cage Free,” “Free Range,” “Humanely Certified,” and “Grass Fed” suggest that those willing to pay a higher price can enjoy eggs, dairy, and meat from small-scale “humane” farms that treat animals with compassion and respect. But is the public being misled?
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Minnesota’s pound seizure law requires that publicly funded pounds and shelters turn over unclaimed animals for experimentation after a five-day holding period if requested by a research facility. MN Statute 35.71 states “However, if a tag affixed to the animal or a statement by the animal’s owner after the animal’s seizure specifies that the animal may not be used for research, the animal must not be made available to any institution…” Stop by ARC today and purchase a tag so your companion animal is protected should he or she ever be lost.

Most Minnesotans don’t know that under a 1949 law, any animal in a publicly funded shelter for more than five days can be claimed by a laboratory for experimentation. This practice is known as pound seizure, and it’s Minnesota’s dirty little secret. Only two states, Minnesota and Oklahoma, still have laws requiring publicly funded pounds and shelters to turn over animals for experimentation (Utah eliminated mandatory pound seizure in 2010).
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