Walk for farm animals

An uplifting event took place yesterday afternoon in Princeton. At least 70 people walked along a four mile route, carrying signs and giving out flyers, to show their compasssion for farm animals. Literally billions of land animals are slaughtered each year in the US for food; untold additional billions of fish meet the same fate.

And how these creatures "meet their fate" is almost worse than the fact that they do. It's all about factory farming and how that heinous system causes animals to be treated.

The walk was an annual event sponsored by Farm Sanctuary, one of 66 such walks taking place this fall across the US and in Canada for the same cause. I walked and took pictures and talked with other participants -- a very diverse mix yet all quietly committed. Afterwards, I was glad to have the chance to write about the walk, twice, for publication.

Now, if some of the bystanders and drivers who saw the walk underway would only feel/act more open to the horrific information that Farm Sanctuary exists to provide. (http://farmsanctuary.org/issues/factoryfarming/) Not that they should become vegetarians or vegans on the spot; their merely cutting down on flesh consumption would be a good start. Positive reactions can start small -- then build. It all begins with willingness to listen, read, think. #

Walk the talk

On Sunday afternoon, Sept. 20, animal advocates can "take compassion to the streets" of Princeton by joining Farm Sanctuary's "2009 Walk for Farm Animals." These walks take place around the country each fall in an effort to (1) raise awareness about animal welfare issues associated with factory farming and (2) raise money for Farm Sanctuary's rescue, advocacy and education programs.

About four miles in length, the Princeton walk starts and ends at Grover Park, behind the Princeton Shopping Center, with a route that will take participants downtown. Those who register early ($15) may be in time to get a walk T-shirt; those who register the day of the walk ($20) may not. Registration starts at 2:30 pm; the walk itself, at 3 pm.

Walkers can set up on-line fundraising pages for contributions they solicit from supporters. Everything's spelled out in the second website below.

For information about Farm Sanctuary, visit http://FarmSanctuary.org/ and details about the annual walk, including on-line registration, are at http://walkforfarmanimals.org/. For more information or to register by mail, email NJ coordinator Aileen Jiang at princeton@walkforfarmanimals.org or phone (after 2:30 pm weekdays): 609-238-1680.
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