The Fourth Of July, Hot Dogs & American Exceptionalism

The theory that the United States is inherently different from other nations is known as American Exceptionalism. Many (especially political candidates and commentators) use the term to imply that we are superior to other countries. In this article I explore how the reaction by many Americans to a recent news event, the Chinese Dog Meat […]

July 2, 2017 No comments

When The Pope Speaks, Does Anyone Listen?

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? So too I wonder about Pope Francis’ recent Encyclical on Climate Change & Inequality. He writes about the devastation we humans are causing to our Earth and its creatures, but is anybody listening? Pope Francis on […]

February 1, 2016 No comments

What Do Vegans Eat On Thanksgiving?

I love turkeys! Well…. I love all animals, but turkeys are intelligent and wonderful yet so terribly mistreated. Please look at the articles below for more information on these wonderful birds. Some of the key points which I would like you to take from these articles include: What I Want You to Know About Turkeys Turkeys like to […]

November 23, 2015 No comments

Why Love Some Animals and Eat Others?

Americans have 83 million dogs as pets. We have 95 million cats as pets. Last year we spent approximately $58 billion on our pets. Americans spent $370 million just on Halloween costumes for their pets last year. In one survey 9 in 10 Americans consider their pets to be members of the family. We have […]

March 3, 2015 No comments

Please Meet Your Meat (a/k/a “Holiday Meal”)

This holiday season many Americans will sit down for a family dinner and in the center of the table will be a turkey. How much do you know about the turkey that will be the centerpiece of your meal? Let me introduce you to her. Benjamin Franklin called the turkey “a bird of courage” and […]

November 4, 2014 No comments

Vegan Men Say What? Comparing Human & Animal Slavery

“Negroes have no rights which the white man is bound to respect; they can be bought and sold and treated as an ordinary article of merchandise, whenever profit can be made by it.” Who made this statement? If you guessed the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, you are wrong. These statements were made […]

September 30, 2014 No comments

A Dinner With Friends

Many years ago when I became a vegetarian (this was during the Coolidge administration) there was only one reason for my decision—wanting to be nice to animals. That was all that really mattered to me. Sure, even back then people knew that vegetarianism was a lot healthier than eating meat, even if we didn’t have […]

September 29, 2014 No comments

Reflections on an Un-Turkey Thanksgiving

When I was a child, Thanksgiving was turkey day. By the time we got to my grandparents’ house in the early afternoon, the smell of the roasting bird reached clear out to the car. I’d run into the house, excited, and open the oven door to see it. Despite the fact that it looked done […]

September 29, 2014 No comments

Rusty Girl

This time she had gone too far. As I walked into our home I was greeted by a growling canine. For a brief moment I thought I had entered the wrong home. But then a familiar voice said “that is Rusty our new foster dog.” For several years my wife had been fostering senior dogs. […]

September 29, 2014 No comments

Vegan Food For Thought

“Vegans eat what?” What don’t we eat, I ask? At Animal Place, we always look forward to our staff and volunteer potlucks so we can sample savory plant-based cuisine from all over the world. Eating food that is hearty, healthy and delicious is important when working at a sanctuary/shelter, or raising funds on its behalf. […]

September 29, 2014 No comments

Animal Welfare