The 41st IVU World Vegfest � Day One

It was just Connie and me manning the booth yesterday. The crowd wasn’t so big, so it was manageable. Also, it was a very different crowd – vegetarians and vegans, and there were food stalls and vegan stalls which was the main attraction.

There were foreigners too.

And even though I was worried sick about Tabs and making phonecalls home to check (my husband was looking after her) and phonecalls to numerous vets to ask for possible diagnoses, the show has to go on for AnimalCare. It was Friday (a working day), and it was just Connie and me.

Most of the visitors were strict vegans. Some talked about reaching higher consciousness through veganism (the ultimate on harmlessness towards all animals and the environment).

A lot of it was about food and eating habits.

You are what you eat, and you have to eat to live. So, eat harmlessly.

But there were a few animal lovers there too who were interested in dogs and cats.

There were also animal rights activists from other countries who were keen to share their experience. But over in their countries, when they talk about animal rights, it isn’t only about saving street animals, it is about fighting to close down slaughterhouses, going vegan (not just vegetarian, but vegan) and another delegate from the UK shared with us how one vet refuses to euthanise terminal animals brought in. He would take them home to give them palliative care. I asked him about the condition of the strays in the UK and he said as long as he has lived there, there are just NO stray animals in the UK. Not even in the suburbs? He said no. There are only pets. Now, how did they achieve that, I asked. He doesn’t know because there are just no stray animals there.

Talks were going on the whole day as it was a conference.

It’s a new experience as here, we encountered people would scrutinise every ingredient on our toothpaste and soap and question its origin – any animal derivative, they asked. They were strict vegans. Unexpectedly, our soap sold like hot cakes! The toothpaste wasn’t as “hot” since some vegans were not too happy with an ingredient in the product which was chemical in nature.

We also encountered one foreigner who said he is totally into veganism but not interested in saving dogs and cats (the funny thing is, he was wearing leather shoes and a leather belt). I guess it is the same where in the animal rescue circle, we also encounter people who are totally into dogs only (or cats only, or both) but not keen to eat less meat or use cruelty-free products. Different strokes, different interests.

We try and promote a more encompassing idea of kindness to animals, ie. (1) caring for the defenseless street animals, (2) eating less animals to reduce the suffering at the slaughterhouses, (3) using cruelty-free products as there is horrendous suffering in the laboratories (which is all so unnecessary as most of our products can be herbal and natural).

So in that sense, we “sort of ” fit in everywhere when kindness to animals is concerned. And we are moderate about it.

Some vegans were not quite happy with our “Go Meatless Once a Week” idea. It should be every day, they said. Well yes, but we are moderate about it and we are trying to encourage the general public to at least go meatless once a week. But there were moderate people too, who said they would buy our tshirt for others to get them onto the meatless path. Now, that’s nice, isn’t it? That’s the whole idea, actually – to promote the message to the general public. We have to start small and moderate, or else some people won’t even start.

Today is Day Two and Connie is manning the booth alone. I hope Lester can help her. I will be with Tabs at the vet’s and if everything is fine, I will join Connie later.

If you are free, you might want to drop in at PWTC. The exhibition is open to the public. The conference is only for registered delegates. We are at Booth No.16.

We wish to thank the organisers for sponsoring this booth for us to raise the awareness of what everyone can do to help the street animals.

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2013/10/05/the-41st-ivu-world-vegfest-day-one/

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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