Great Weekend of Outreach at Twin Cities Pride

ARC had an amazing weekend of outreach at the Twin Cities Pride Festival held at Loring Park in downtown Minneapolis. We gave out over 3,900 pieces of literature, a new record for this event, and had hundreds of conversations with people who watched our Virtual Reality video about the lives of farmed animals, which was a truly eye-opening experience for most viewers.

Thanks to volunteers Shaun, Greg, Mike, Logan, Katie H., Tina, TJ, Becky, Katie L., Nicole, as well as ARC staff Lilia, Kelsey, and Ashley for their dedication and hard work for animals over the course of the two-day festival.

"Extreme Race Day" at Canterbury Park

Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota is adding “extreme” races to its usual lineup of horse racing, proclaiming “It’s a real zoo! Camel, Ostrich, and Zebra races!” Join ARC to protest this ridiculous and inhumane event on Saturday, July 14, from noon to 2:00 p.m. Let’s use our voices to peacefully tell Canterbury that animals should not be treated this way.

Hedrick Exotic Animal Farm, the exhibitor providing the animals, has a history of dangerous incidents and poor animal care and has been cited for multiple violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. During a previous Hedrick's race in California, an ostrich ran frantically into a barrier—breaking his leg—and had to be euthanized. At the 2015 Ostrich Festival in Chandler, Arizona, two attendees reported that an ostrich was trampled to death by two other birds. And this March, two zebras provided by Hedrick’s escaped from a pen at the Ostrich Festival—and one of the zebras was hit and killed by a car. 

Signs will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. We will protest at the intersection of Canterbury Road and 12th Ave, across the street from McDonalds. This is a high traffic area where folks will come off Highway 169 to head into the park. If you cannot attend, please consider posting a comment on the Canterbury Park Facebook page and contact Randy Sampson, President of Canterbury Park, at rsampson@canterburypark.com and ask him to cancel the event. Please be polite as rude or offensive comments will not help the animals. 

Free Vegan Nutrition Workshop

Join knowledgeable Vegan University volunteer Dave and learn about vegan nutrition 101 on Thursday, July 12, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Washburn Library in Minneapolis.  Dave will discuss various nutrients and what foods they're found in. Free recipes will be provided along with ideas for building a more nutritious meal plan. Dave will help you sort through the confusing and often conflicting nutrition advice in the media so you can make better dietary choices as you move forward on your plant-based journey. You can RSVP on Facebook or Vegan Meetup.

ARC/CAA Summer Picnic Potluck

The Animal Rights Coalition and Compassionate Action for Animals are teaming up for a vegan potluck picnic on Sunday, July 22, starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Wabun C pavilion at Minnehaha Park. Join us for an afternoon of vegan food and fun — rain or shine. Bring your omnivore friends, too! This is a great opportunity to introduce others to delicious vegan food and encourage members of the local community to explore a plant-based diet..

Protest the Sale of Animals from Commercial Breeders at Four Paws and a Tail

We're joining Puppy Mill Free Minnesota (the Minnesota volunteer team for "Bailing out Benji") for a peaceful protest at Four Paws and a Tail pet store to oppose their business model of buying companion animals from intensive breeding facilities and re-selling them to the public. The protest location is on public property near Northtown Mall, 398 Northtown Dr. NE, Blaine, Minnesota from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 15. Meet at the intersection of County Rd 10 and Jefferson. We will stand in the grassy area in front of the Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant.  

Signs will be provided but feel free to make or bring your own. Note that this is an ongoing campaign. ARC will post events for the protests we are able to attend, but you can find information for all protest dates here.