We have a cheer for Manchester, Conn., Mayor Jay Moran. Following advice from Friends of Animals, he is refusing to allow the Manchester Country Club to kill geese who it thinks are a nuisance to its golf course.

The issue was brought up earlier this week at the town’s Board of Director’s monthly meeting. The town owns the property and leases it to Manchester Country Club.

If the club’s proposal had been approved, the club would have been allowed to trap the geese and then CT DEEP officials would kill the birds by breaking their necks. Friends of Animals has worked with many communities to convince them not to kill Canada geese.

We have a jeer today for New Hampshire and its 2016 moose hunt lottery that opened recently. The nine-day moose hunt is slated for Oct. 15-23.

Friends of Animals is sickened by the callousness of the Fish and Game Department—which treats hunters as clients instead of protecting wildlife—in its press release that reads: “Enter today to try your luck on the adventure of a lifetime—hunting moose in the rugged woods of the Granite State.”

It only sees dollar signs when it comes to moose, as last year the hunt brought in at least $156,750 to the state as 105 permits were sold for $15 to New Hampshire residents and $25 to non-residents.

In September and October, moose are supposed to be finding a mate, not dodging the bullets of hunters “trying their luck.” Males, called bulls, bellow loudly to attract mates each September and October. Not only will the hunt needlessly slaughter adult moose, it will kill so many unborn.

Just two years ago, across North America — in places like New Hampshire and British Columbia, Montana and Minnesota — moose populations were in steep decline. While the moose-die off alarmed scientists, what alarms us is that moose hunting is still allowed in New Hampshire since killing moose obviously diminishes their population.

In New Hampshire, moose were actually hunted out of existence during Colonial times; they returned to the state only in the 1970s.

New Hampshire’s longer fall, with less snow has greatly increased the number of winter ticks. A New York Times article explained that the animals lose so much blood from ticks—a moose can get 100,000 ticks—they can become anemic. Worse, the ticks cause the moose to scratch constantly, tearing off large patches of hair. When it rains in the spring, the moose, deprived of their warm coats, then become hypothermic.

Even New Hampshire’s Wildlife Programs Supervisor Kent Gustafson admits this past, long, snow-free fall may result in increased tick mortality again this spring—likely prompting permit reductions this year.

We have a better idea, ban the moose hunt altogether, and stop treating hunters as clients…and instead emphasize other ways of increasing funds to the state’s Fish and Game Department, like encouraging residents to buy a New Hampshire Moose License Plate. Moose conservation license plate funds benefit the NH Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program. The Fish and Game Dept. should also increase efforts to promote moose-watching tourism to non-residents—which is already a $115-million-a-year business in New Hampshire.

Call Gustafson at 603-271-2461 or email him at wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov and tell him to cancel the 2016 moose hunt.

Does it get any sweeter than this? We have a big #cheer today for Lewis Oliver Farm, previously a dairy farm that has become an animal sanctuary, and the vegan ice cream shop it inspired, Sweet Annabelle’s!

According to a feature article on OneGreenPlanet.org , the historic Lewis Oliver Farm located on the North Shore of Long Island was once home to a dairy farm and at its peak held 63 cows on the milking line. The owner decided to retire and sold the cows and the farm in 1953, when it was turned into a petting zoo and eventually fell into the hands of a volunteer group.

The volunteers not only made the property a sanctuary, but also an educational facility that teaches the public about the personalities and complexity of farm animals. Residents of the Lewis Oliver Farm include cows, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks and other rescued animals, who have been saved from the meat and dairy factories, or abuse and neglect.

After giving up dairy, Friends of the Farm volunteer Lorene Eriksen, who oversees the sanctuary, started experimenting with making vegan ice cream cakes. Shortly after, the sanctuary launched a vegan sweet shop called “Sweet Annabelles,” named after one of the farm’s very special residents, Annabelle, the cow. Sweet Annabelles specializes in vegan ice cream cakes, but also offers  pints and ice cream sandwiches, created entirely from scratch. Some of the top-selling flavors include smashed peanut butter cup, salted caramel pretzel crunch, salted caramel, chocolate, vanilla, coffee chip and chocolate peanut butter…all of which is sold at Lewis Oliver Farm.

Lorene told One Green Planet that she takes immense satisfaction in seeing the reactions of people when they taste her ice cream. It also opens up the dialogue about the horrors of the dairy industry and the cruelty-free alternatives that are just as delicious, if not better.

We’re thrilled to see what can happen when a group of volunteers decide to completely transform a place of animal suffering into a sanctuary devoted to advocating for a vegan lifestyle. Are you interested in learning more living a plant-based lifestyle? Check out our free starter guide and restaurant guides right here and visit our online store to view our two very own vegan cookbooks.

Photo from Sweet Annabelle’s Facebook page

Honestly it’s no surprise that Republican Presidential candidate, Carly Fiorina, would hog attention back to the “virtues” of the pork industry when faced with questions from an animal rights activist last week.

An activist was called upon for a question at the Iowa Pork Congress, an annual event celebrating the state’s pork industry and was met with jeers and boos from the crowd of almost all pig farmers and pork producers. He read from a piece of paper to ask Fiorina how it could “ever be acceptable” to kill pigs “simply because they’re in a weak and vulnerable position.”

Fiorina’s completely repugnant reply was, “Wow. Sorry, but wow,” drawing cheers from the crowd of mostly pork producers. The former Hewlett-Packard CEO went on to reprimand the activist, saying he “ought to be very happy that these people produce food for this state, this country, and the world.”

She then went even as far as musing to herself, “I really wish there was that much passion in that young man for unborn children as there are for pigs,” which received a standing ovation from the audience.

For someone so completely out of touch with reality, it isn’t completely shocking that Fiorina would make such nonsensical claims but the complete dismissal of the abuses faced by hundreds of thousands of animals (who are also living beings, Carly) every year is something that should be addressed.

Factory farm and privately owned farms pack animals into spaces so tight that most can barely move. Many have no access to the outdoors, spending their lives on open warehouse floors, or housed in cages or pens. Without the room to engage in natural behaviors, confined animals experience severe physical and mental distress. To completely brush off question about these animals and instead turn it into a stump speech for her stance on abortion is worse than a typical politician tactic and speaks volumes about her character. Luckily, according to recent polls, Fiorina’s chances of making it to the finish line in the presidential election are slim to none…so that’s one less heartless candidate we have to worry about.

– See more at: https://secure.friendsofanimals.org/news/2016/february/cheers-and-jeers#sthash.w9OUMad0.dpuf