THE EARTH AS ANIMAL: THE INTERDPENDENCY OF ALL LIFE

THE EARTH AS ANIMAL: THE INTERDPENDENCY OF ALL LIFE, Carolyn Baker Interviews Sheryl Rapee-Adams

What could be healthier for humans and their local economies than eating locally-produced, plant-based foods, while that also happens prevent the torture and slaughter of factory-farmed animals and the poisoning of our arable land through genetically-engineered monoculture crops (usually soy and corn) to feed factory-farmed animals and to create highly-processed foods that cause obesity, degenerative disease, and cost us all in higher health care bills?

Although I know that all life forms are interdependent, my interview with Sheryl Rapee-Adams took my awareness to another level. This woman thoroughly understands the extent to which our well being is connected with that of the animals on this planet. She is the volunteer New England Regional Team Leader for the Best Friends Network, Best Friends’ free internet community for people who care about animals to share ideas and work together. The Network (http://network.bestfriends.org) has over 24,000 registered members and 236,000 unique hits daily. Best Friends welcomes virtual volunteers and Best Friends Ambassadors who bring the Kindness Revolution to their own communities. Please contact Sheryl for more information and to get involved at: sheryl@sherylhelpsanimals.com This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

CB: Sheryl, you work with Best Friends Animal Society, and although you live and work in Vermont, Best Friends is an international organization dedicated to rescuing abused and neglected animals. Please tell us briefly about the mission and work of best friends in Vermont, in the U.S. and worldwide.



SRA: Best Friends Animal Society believes in humane choices and compassion for all beings, including humans. Best Friends helps organizations in India that preserve wildlife habitat, rescue "dancing bears" to sanctuaries, and spay/neuter and vaccinate companion animals (http://network.bestfriends.org/india/news/16637.html). Best Friends is helping the people of Peru with animal and human needs after the recent devastating earthquake (http://network.bestfriends.org/News/Default.aspx?g=b027fc136e51481496e385538e280ea9) After Beirut, Lebanon's only animal shelter was bombed, Best Friends coordinated an airlift of 300 dogs and cats who found homes in the United States (http://network.bestfriends.org/middleeast/news/). All of this was done at the request of, and with the help of, caring people. Collaboration with and support of humans is a crucial ingredient in helping animals.



In the United States, Best Friends has several large campaigns underway along with its ongoing work of maintaining the largest companion animal sanctuary in the United States, which is in Kanab, Utah, as well as permanent staff who field telephone calls and emails for animal help from people all over the country (http://www.bestfriends.org/). Ongoing campaigns include stopping breed-specific legislation, which creates problems rather than protecting against dangerous dogs (http://network.bestfriends.org/News/Default.aspx?g=555ca35ba5274da88bc0d8853336891e). Best Friends would like to eliminate the animal-mill pet trade, in which dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, and more are kept in horrid conditions and bred until their bodies give out so their often undersocialized and unhealthy babies can be sold at pet stores (http://network.bestfriends.org/News/Default.aspx?g=569c59200aaa4c35908e35a0ad2fbdc3). Best Friends responded to a call for help in Nye County, Nevada where a cat "sanctuary" was revealed to be a hoarding situation where over 400 cats are now finally getting medical care and being adopted into loving homes, or returned to the homes from which they were missing (http://network.bestfriends.org/News/Default.aspx?g=68d1ed2beabd415dbf0dc137a5ec1224).



I volunteer with the Best Friends Network as the New England Regional Team Leader. Best Friends believes that outreach of this nature helps regional people collaborate to create regionally-appropriate animal programs and solutions. I am lucky enough to live in Vermont, a state and region of the country with relatively strong standards of animal care, good animal agencies, effective animal protection laws, and minimal overpopulation. I help Vermont and New England animal organizations get the word out about their news, events, needs, and ways community members can help meet those needs. Humane education is always needed, from grade school through adulthood. I like to remind generous New Englanders that we do have countless stray and feral cats who need spaying/neutering and vaccinations, homeless animals needing homes, wildlife whose habitat needs protecting, and ecosystems with residents that would appreciate our help with preservation. I enjoy activating the passions of people who care about animals, other people, and the earth by offering opportunities for them to make a difference and save lives.





CB: Recently, you emailed me an article by Michael Mountain, who has been working with Best Friends for a long time and who I believe lives in Utah, and the focus of the article was on the interdependency of all life. From your perspective, could you say more about this notion of the interdependency of all life? How do you connect kindness to animals and rescuing them from abuse and neglect with creating sustainability on earth? Some people would say that global warming, energy depletion, human population overshoot, and perpetual war are such monumental issues for humans that we really must save ourselves first before saving animals. How would you respond to that assertion?



SRA: Compassion and humane behavior benefits all beings, human and nonhuman. Treating animals humanely is not an either-or proposition that uses up care that could have helped people. We treat humans and nonhumans with compassion with awareness that we all share the same planet, and what happens to the planet happens to all of us.



Breaking news: Helping animals and helping humans and helping the earth are the same. There is no such thing as placing the needs of one above the needs of the other. As Frederick Buechner put it, vocation is where your deep gladness meets the world's deep need, so if you're helping protect and restore the environment, advocating for human rights and social justice, working to create real democracy where "We the People" are the governing and the governed, or helping wildlife and domestic animals - in all these cases you are working toward a humane world. These issues are interdependent. Individuals may be inspired to work in one of these areas in particular, but helping in one realm helps them all.



Here are some examples: What could be more environmentally-friendly than adopting homeless pets instead of "producing" (breeding) more, with all the attendant resources that consumes? Five to ten million animals are killed in shelters every single year due to homelessness - and those are just the homeless animals who make it to shelters. If the thought of abandoned animals entering and dying in shelters does not break your heart, then consider the waste and chemical-filled carcasses that must be disposed of. Why, then, is it considered acceptable to use significant resources breeding animals for pets when literally millions of existing animals need homes?



What could be healthier for humans and their local economies than eating locally-produced, plant-based foods, while that also happens prevent the torture and slaughter of factory-farmed animals and the poisoning of our arable land through genetically-engineered monoculture crops (usually soy and corn) to feed factory-farmed animals and to create highly-processed foods that cause obesity, degenerative disease, and cost us all in higher health care bills? Raising and slaughtering animals to feed humans and other animals is extremely taxing to the environment and literally takes food from the mouths of hungry people worldwide. It takes many times more energy to produce a pound of beef than a pound of wheat, and eating animal products is linked to numerous diseases, which raises the costs of healthcare and sometimes takes our loved ones from us. For those who eat flesh and animal products, buying those products from small farms that support local economies, pay livable wages, and maintain safe working conditions also means better lives for the animals who live and die there.



It is in the public interest to achieve scientific advancement through environmentally-cleaner clinical studies, computer models, cellular cultures, and other methods that are more scientifically valid and successful than testing laboratory animals who suffer and die for test results that produce data no more reliable than flipping a coin - test results that cause human sickness and death because drugs that tested safe on animals were toxic to humans. I remember hearing the comedian/magician/commentator Penn Jillette discussing his father's death from diabetes, and saying that he would kill countless mice if it gave his father one more day of life. I heard him say that he would sacrifice every monkey in the world if it would save one homeless crack addict. These emotional pleas to save human lives sound to me like primitive attempts to appease the gods with animal sacrifices. They didn't work in tribal cultures and they don't work today. Helping animals is not a choice that negates helping humans. Making humane choices helps animals and humans.



Here's another example: Injuries and deaths to humans by attacking dogs are huge news. The fact that many of these dogs are (accurately or inaccurately) identified as pit bulls has led to reactionary ordinances banning the dogs, which has resulted in the removal of innocent canine family members from loving human homes. Studying the facts of these cases reveals that no dog breed causes the problem, but mistreatment of dogs does Three factors are present in the vast majority of fatal dog attacks: 1. The dog is unsocialized and not living as a member of his human family, but usually chained or held captive in isolation of a small territory, the only thing that the dog could call his own; 2. The dog's owner(s) does not control or properly care for the dog; and 3. The dog is an unneutered male. So treating dogs as beloved family members and preventing unwanted litters through spay/neuter is kinder to animals and saves human lives.



Sheltering unwanted pet animals and killing ("euthanizing") them to make room for more actually costs municipalities more money than prevention through spay/neuter and community education. The cost to humans is greater. Of course, the animals pay with their lives, but caring people pay with tax dollars, and with morale. People who work in animal shelters generally love animals and want to help them. When their job includes caring for animals they know will die to make room for more unwanted animals, it can demoralize them and lead to cynicism toward other humans. In feral cat colonies, stabilizing the population through spay/neuter and vaccination has been demonstrated to reduce feral cat number over time, whereas simply trapping an killing wild cats has been shown to create a vacuum that more fertile cats quickly fill, to the great annoyance of humans. Preventive, humane solutions help people and animals.







CB: You also work with another group, the Institute For Humane Education which offers the only accredited Masters degree in Humane Education in the United States. Please tell us more about Humane Education. What is it? The Institute offers a workshop called "Sowing Seeds" which you say profoundly influenced you. Please share with us our experience of the workshop and its effect on you.



The Institute for Humane Education based in Surry, Maine, offers humane education in the interdependent issues of social justice/human rights, media and consumer awareness, environmental preservation, and animal protection. In two days, IHE's Sowing Seeds workshop awakened me to the impacts of my life choices, the ripple effects of everything I do. When I walked into Sowing Seeds, I was an "animal person," trying to learn more about what I could do to help the abused, neglected, at-risk, and suffering animals of the world. When I left after that weekend, I was fully awakened to the fact that where animals suffer, people and the earth also suffer - and that I could make better choices that contribute to the kind of world I want to live in. Some of the information presented is painful to hear. But living a life of purpose that aligns with my values brings me far more joy than the ongoing dull pain of living unconsciously, when I used to think that life my choices affected only me and my immediate circle, while knowing better at some level. I feel energized now that I am constantly questioning, listening, learning, and making more informed choices. Rather than pushing any particular viewpoint or belief system, IHE teaches critical thinking, promotes heightened awareness, and encourages greater personal and global responsibility.



CB: You worked in New Orleans during Katrina to rescue animals. Describe that experience and its impact on you.



I have a hard time describing this experience because there is nothing in the rest of my life to compare it to. Perhaps people who have been to developing nations and war zones have language and comparative experiences for what I saw. Even just flying into the New Orleans airport in February 2006 was surreal. I saw thousands of blue rooftops and realized that, five months after the hurricanes, people still had plastic tarps covering their roofs. But that was nothing! Businesses were closed, some too destroyed ever to reopen. In residential neighborhoods, houses had been pushed off their foundations and still sat in the middle of the streets. Boats were in the street. And amid this, houses with varying degrees of apparent habitability had life going on inside: families who had lived there before the storms and were trying to reclaim their lives.



As soon as the storms hit, Best Friends began creating two animal relief facilities, one at an animal sanctuary in Tylertown, Mississippi and one at a former indoor fun-park called Celebration Station in Metairie, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans. I lived and worked at Celebration Station along with dozens of other volunteers and Best Friends staff. I worked in Cats and helped care for a changing population of up to 300 cats at a time. The majority of cats brought in were not spayed or neutered, as was the case with the dogs and other animals. Best Friends found veterinarians to work with and I helped transport animals for their surgeries and other medical care. Best Friends also worked cooperatively with local and regional humane agencies to help reunite pets with their people whenever possible, to place difficult-to-place animals (such as cats who tested FIV-positive or feline leukemia-positive), and to assist local people with their animal needs. So many local residents came in to thank us for helping Gulf Coast animals, to look for their lost animals, to adopt animals ready for new homes, and to volunteer their help.



While there, I made some good friends. I also learned that I can witness pain and destruction, and manage to keep it together and be helpful. Honestly, before I went I didn't know that about myself and wondered how I would hold up. I am relieved to say that adrenaline and good sense kick in when needed. That realization alone changed and strengthened me.



After I returned home, I felt compelled to continue working with Best Friends to help animals and people. I assisted with the reunion search, and helped several people search for pets they'd been separated from after the storms. I also became much more involved with the Best Friends Network. That daily connection with the organization and its work is so satisfying to me.



CB: Please tell us about Bailey, a cat that you say "told you" to help animals. How has your life changed since you listened to Bailey and have dedicated so much of your time and energy to this calling?



This still amazes me. I've always adopted homeless cats. They were my companions, my children. Years ago, when my husband and I were ready to take in a couple of cats, someone told me of two cats who needed a home. We took both of them. Jewel, a Persian cat, was 9 years old at the time and is now the 17-year-old dowager of our home. Bailey was a 10-month-old Bengal cat. I don't quite understand how these connections form, but he became what I call my soul kitty, the cat of my heart. I love and cherish all four of our cats, but there's something different about my relationship with Bailey.



When I look at Bailey, I think about more than just the fun we have together or his needs that I am responsible for meeting. Somehow, when we got him more than 7 years ago, the sight of him got me wondering about the condition of the world's cats. I learned about breed rescue, about the fact that there may be more than ten times as many cats as dogs in our country, about humanely reducing stray and feral cat populations with trap-neuter-return, and about the work of regional and national humane organizations. I began volunteering.



As I gazed at Bailey I wondered about all the world's animals: animals we think of as companions and family members, animals domesticated for work and farming, animals bred and slaughtered for food, and the wild animals of the world. I learned about factory farming, laboratory testing, breeding mills, dog fighting, the exotic pet trade, illegal capture and use of wild animals and endangered species, and more.



I realized that helping animals was my life's mission, and that people are animals I want to help, too. I became vegan. I discovered the realm of cause-based nonprofit organizations and became a devoted volunteer and board member. I went back to school and got a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Management at Antioch New England University to help me leverage my skills on behalf of the changes I'd like to see in the world. I want to continually gain effectiveness at helping people and organizations that are make these changes.



The funny thing is that Bailey is not exactly the Gandhi of cats. He can be a pretty cranky fellow. He annoys easily, complains loudly, and keeps our other three cats in their place. I leash-walk Bailey in our neighborhood and he loves to meet new people. But if he sees another cat, watch out!



Bailey does have very endearing qualities. My husband and I have a business doing massage therapy and craniosacral therapy and Bailey thinks that our clients are here for him. All our cats like to visit with our clients, but Bailey yowls to be let into the treatment room. When a client is eager for Bailey to join us in session (and only then), I open the door and Bailey jumps right up onto the client's body. Bailey kneads their torso until he feels complete then curls up between their knees to sleep. I think some of my clients come back for Bailey.





CB: If people want to get involved with Best Friends or the Institute For Humane Education, how can they do so? What kinds of qualities in individuals would both groups be looking for? You mentioned Virtual Volunteering. Please say more about that and how readers can get involved.





What I love about all the organizations and programs I'm about to mention is that every one of them acknowledges the interdependence of all core issues, realizing that what affects one species affects every species, that what we do to the planet we do to ourselves. Each of these organizations works in the spirit of collaboration and compassion. I am involved with organizations whose mission and methods have integrity and align with my values.



Best Friends Animal Society http://www.bestfriends.org/

Best Friends Network http://network.bestfriends.org/

Anyone who loves animals and people and wants to volunteer remotely should email brandib@bestfriends.org This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it to start the volunteer application process. (Tell Brandi I sent you!) The Best Friends Network is an ideal volunteer site for people who want to make a difference in the world and who enjoy writing news, blogging, moderating and contributing to forums, and discovering and sharing regional resources. I have gained professional-level networking, web content, and volunteer program skills in this volunteer position as well as having a great time!



I recommend that anyone who is able take a life-changing trip to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in gorgeous Kanab, Utah. Best Friends is on 35,000 acres in Angel Canyon and is an exemplar for all animal sanctuaries, and heavenly to visit. Many people who visit decide to stay and Best Friends has changed the face of Kanab. It's located right in the Golden Circle of National Parks that includes the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. More about visiting and volunteering at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary here: http://www.bestfriends.org/atthesanctuary/.





Institute for Humane Education (IHE) http://www.humaneeducation.org/

IHE uses this definition of humane: "Having what are considered the best qualities of human beings." If you are passionate about education and promoting value/s of compassion and responsibility in children and adults, this organization will knock your socks off. I highly recommend taking the 2-day Sowing Seeds workshop (http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/sowing_seeds_workshops) to open the mind and heart and leave with a load of tools for positive change.



If someone is wanting to be a teacher, IHE has the country's only accredited Master of Education in humane education (http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/mastersprogram) and a Humane Education Certificate Program for those who want the education without the academic credential (http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/hecp).





The New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS) http://www.neavs.org/

NEAVS has a special place in my heart. When I learned about animals suffering in laboratories, I contacted NEAVS, which has been around since 1895, and arranged a Vermont speaking tour for President and Executive Director Theodora Capaldo, Ph.D. Since then I have volunteered at the NEAVS Office and remotely, and maintained a connection I cherish with the NEAVS staff. NEAVS "works to expose and replace animal experiments in laboratories and classrooms with ethically and scientifically responsible modern research methods and to protect human beings who may be subjected to such experiments." The NEAVS office is also home to the Ethical Science & Education Coalition (ESEC), which "works to ensure that students' rights to a quality education are not compromised by academic threat, punishment or failure because of their ethical decision not to dissect or otherwise use animals in a harmful way."



The Daniel Pennock Democracy School http://www.celdf.org/DemocracySchool/tabid/60/Default.aspx

If the words "corporate personhood" and "corporate domination" make you want to start screaming, definitely attend the 2-day Daniel Pennock Democracy School and start making a difference today. The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) in Pennsylvania offers this Democracy School that absolutely everyone should attend, whether they live in a country claiming to be a democracy or want to live in a democracy. After attending, many Democracy School graduates are motivated to start hosting Democracy Schools in their area so all local people can reclaim their rights and participate in self-governance. This eye-opening workshop demonstrates the history of our current corporate-dominated governmental system, describes early and more recent populist movements, how today's US corporate-governmental system operates, and what We the People can do to reclaim governance, starting at the local level.



Daniel Pennock was a 17-year-old boy who died after riding his bicycle over a crop field toxic with sewage sludge, which corporations get rich selling to farmers. The corporation that poisoned this boy was not held accountable, but his parents have become corporate accountability educators and Democracy School is named in their son's memory. Here is CELDF Executive DIrector Thomas Linzay's "Model Legal Brief to Eliminate Corporate Rights," coauthored with Richard Grossman, cofounder of Program on Corporations, Law, and Democracy (POCLAD) : http://www.celdf.org/ProgramAreas/CorporationsDemocracy/ModelBrieftoEliminateCorporateRights/tabid/167/Default.aspx