Chicken Run Rescue recently rescued several chickens from St. Paul, among them a handsome rooster named Turnip. Turnip was lucky. CRR was able to place him, but the next discarded boy may not be so lucky.

If you live in St. Paul, let your city council member know that St. Paul's rooster ban needs to be lifted as the ban is a death sentence for roosters who represent 50% of the chicks hatched for the backyard chicken fad.

Turnip lost part of his comb and a toe to frostbite so the standards for care in the city need to be improved and enforced. If the City is going to allow chickens, it needs to step up to its responsibilities.

Help Chicken Run Get Ready for Spring!

You can help Chicken Run Rescue get ready for spring at the ARC Volunteer Day at CRR on Saturday, 4/28. At this chicken chore party we will help to get the birds’ playgrounds ready for spring and will perform any tasks that need doing, including garden work. There will be plenty of variety for all levels of strength and mobility. Yummy plant-based refreshments from Root to Rise Kitchen will be provided by ARC. Come and meet some of the animals you advocate for.

And mark your calendars now for International Respect for Chickens Day on Saturday, May 5 when you'll be able to visit Chicken Run Rescue and meet award-winning documentary filmmaker Sam Sprynczynatyk and producer Medora Frei. Sam and Medora will show clips and give a presentation about their upcoming film Kindred Creatures that features CRR and other local sanctuaries. We will post more details soon about this event and how to sign up.

A Great Day of Outreach at North YMCA

ARC had a busy day at the North Community YMCA, participating in their first annual Black History Month celebration. We handed out lots of literature and food samples and had great conversations with many families interested in switching to a plant-based diet. Thank you, North Community YMCA, for the invitation!

"I just wanted to reach out and say thanks again for your participation in The Beauty of Us event at the North Community YMCA during Black History Month. You guys did an amazing job working with the young people! We received a lot of positive feedback from the participants and families about the event and the information ARC provided. I look forward to collaborating with you all again." – Bianca Scott, Family Engagement Director, YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Harold Mezile North Community YMCA.  

Virtual Reality at the Healthy Life Expo

A big shout out to all the ARC volunteers at the two-day Healthy Life Expo at the Minneapolis Convention Center for helping people get set up with virtual reality, handing out literature and food samples, and conducting friendly, informative conversations about plant-based eating.

The expo was packed all weekend and we gave out 1,296 Primal Strip samples and 820 pieces of literature about plant-based eating, and we had people of all ages (with parental permission when appropriate) viewing our Virtual Reality video about the lives of farmed animals.

More Virtual Reality at the Women's Expo

We exhibited at the Twin Cities Women's Expo in St. Paul with literature from Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine targeted specifically to women and also did Virtual Reality outreach again.

We had some really great conversations at the expo and gave out over 1,000 samples of dairy-free So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk Yogurt, which received rave reviews. Samplers were surprised by how tasty the yogurt was and most asked where to purchase it.

Farmer's Market Outreach 

ARC will be at many local farmer's markets, outdoor festivals,  and other outdoor events this summer (15 dates scheduled so far) where we will give out information about plant-based eating and sample animal-free food items such as Primal Strips vegan jerky.

Email Kelsey, our Volunteer Coordinator, if you're interested in volunteering to help at these events. It's a great way to get the message out to receptive crowds about how a plant-based diet is good for the animals, the earth, and one's health. 

Educating the Public about Trophy Hunting and Animals in Entertainment

We joined PETA in protesting the U.S. removal of restrictions on importing animal "trophies" acquired from some African countries, including Zimbabwe, where Cecil the lion was killed. Thank you to everyone who came out to show we're not okay with this and to raise awareness about trophy hunting. We received a lot of positive support from people driving by and some even stopped to thank us for being there. We won't let Cecil the lion, and his killer, Minnesota dentist Dr. Walter Palmer, be forgotten, especially since a new book provides evidence that Cecil was lured by bait and left to suffer for 10 hours from his wound.

ARC also joined SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness), a Chicago animal rights group, in protesting a barbaric live pigeon shoot  sponsored by Ducks Unlimited at the Minnesota Horse & Hunt Club in Prior Lake. The publicity for the event advertised that 2,000 pigeons would be released to be shot during the course of the event. SHARK documented the event with their Angel drones.

Attention Duluth folks, we will be joining you in Duluth on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14 at Amsoil Arena for demonstrations at the AAD Shrine Circus to educate the public on the cruelty involved in using animals in the circus. Photos from past circuses show dogs and tigers jumping through hoops of fire, people riding elephants and camels, and muzzled bears forced to do tricks they wouldn't do naturally. Signs will be provided, but feel free to make and bring your own too. If anyone would like to carpool from the Twin Cities, email Ashley as we hope to get some carpools set up.