"Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace."
-Albert Schweitzer
COMPASSION AND ACTIVISM FOR ANIMALS
ABOUT
MISSION STATEMENT:
Nashville Animal Advocacy is dedicated to promoting animal rights and veganism in Tennessee through education, research, special events, protests and legislation.
ABOUT US:
Nashville Animal Advocacy's mission is to spread awareness about the injustices of animal exploitation in food production, fashion, sport, entertainment, testing and research. Our society has reduced animals to mere commodities, leading to their horrific suffering and a loss of life numbering in the trillions. Our fundamental goal is education for animal justice that each of us have the power and responsibility to reverse and end. We promote an ethical vegan philosophy and the right to live, free from harm, for every sentient animal.
Nashville Animal Advocacy originally began as a Meetup.com group in 2012 by Laura Levy. When Laura moved from Nashville, she passed her responsibilities to Tricia Lebkuecher, who had been co-organizing since 2013. Tricia met her soon-to-be co-organizer, Amy Pruett in 2014 at a Ringling Bros. Circus protest. Amy and Tricia had made the decision to build the Meetup group into a non-profit organization for more effective activism.
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we facilitate vegan outreach at many festivals in Middle Tennessee, host volunteer days at animal sanctuaries, advocate for humane legislation and hold protests and rallies against the use of animals in food, fashion, medical training and entertainment.
Our organization's management team is vegan; they work on a volunteer basis--and all are loving care-givers of adopted rescue animals. Our collective hope is that someday the world will be a safe and happy place for everyone, humans and animals alike.
Be sure to join our social Meetup group, Nashvegans.
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BE THE CHANGE
Let's create a compassionate world for everyone. Protect animals from the violence and suffering of animal agriculture, captivity, skin & fur trades, cosmetic testing, experimentation, entertainment, sports and the exploitation of puppy mills. True compassion begins with veganism as a moral baseline that leads to total animal liberation.
Veganism isn't a diet, but rather a justice movement against all forms of animal exploitation - food, fashion, entertainment, research, sport, etc. Justice for non-human sentient animals to live free from human-caused exploitation, abuse and death. Making compassionate choices for animals comes with extra benefits for human health, the environment, the oceans, climate action and our empathy towards others.
Learn more at GO VEGAN
Visit our VEGAN RESOURCES
Get involved with ANIMAL ACTIVISM
LEAVE THE LEAVES
Fallen leaves are beneficial to wildlife and the ecosystem. As leaves decay, they provide valuable nutrients to boost the soil.
Fallen leaves play an integral role with food sources, thermal cover, and shelter for many animals to overwinter. Please be mindful of their important survival activities. Hang up the rake and
LEAVE THE LEAVES
WORLD VEGAN MONTH
November 1st is World Vegan Day
the kickoff to World Vegan Month
Contrary to popular belief, veganism isn't a diet, but rather a principled liberation movement against all forms of animal exploitation for food, fashion, entertainment, research, sport, etc. Justice for non-human sentient animals to live free from human-caused exploitation, suffering, and violence. Did you know that you don’t have to "love" animals to make the decision not to harm them? Making compassionate choices for animals just so happens to come with extra benefits for human health, the environment, the oceans, climate action, and our empathy towards others.
We encourage everyone to take a stand for justice, demand liberation, and embrace compassion for all sentient beings by ending any involvement in animal exploitation. Live vegan
Visit VEGAN RESOURCES
Get involved in ANIMAL ACTIVISM
HAVE A WARM HEART IN THE WINTER COLD
When the mercury dips, the cold can be a killer.
Don't leave cats & dogs outside in the freezing temperatures (particularly with snow, rain or wind) for any prolonged amount of time. They can easily be injured or die from frostbite or hypothermia, especially puppies/kittens and senior dogs/cats. They are family and deserve to be treated as such. Read HERE on how to help animals in the cold.
In the rare absolute case they must stay outside, be sure to provide adequate shelter with plenty of straw bedding that they can burrow into protected from the wind - no blankets as they absorb moisture. Provide plenty of food and fresh/thawed water. Get them inside as soon as possible.
Check local laws regarding keeping animals in freezing weather. In Nashville/Davidson County, it is illegal to tether a dog or to keep puppies or nursing/pregnant dogs outside in freezing/inclement conditions.
Opossums and feral cats need protection from the cold, too. Opossums don't have fur on their ears, feet or tails, which makes them more vulnerable to frostbite. Make winter shelters for opossums or feral cats who call your yard home. There are different forms of insulation to use, like thermal bubble wrap, mylar blankets, foam boards, styrofoam, and then stuff with straw. Don't use blankets as they can absorb moisture, which will make the animal colder. Place the shelters in an area that will attract the cats/opossums and will help block the wind. Covering the shelter with extra straw is an option for extra insulation.
CHOOSE THANKSVEGAN
In industrial farms, turkey poults never get the opportunity to meet their mothers, as they are born in hatcheries. On day one, they are mechanically separated from cracked eggshells, then sorted, sexed, debeaked and detoed, all without anesthetics. Turkeys are fattened up so fast that many can't stand under their own weight or die of a heart attack before being sent for slaughter at 4 months of age. This is the experience of the 46 MILLION turkeys exploited just for Thanksgiving.
Their wild counterparts, at 4 months of age, are still being fiercely protected by their mother. Oftentimes, females stay in the same flock as their mothers. We have a distorted view of coexistence and what food is. It doesn't have to be this way. We can leave animals off our plates entirely - on Thanksgiving and every day.
Read more on our blog posts A NEW TRADITION and CHOOSE A COMPASSIONATE HOLIDAY
Visit VEGAN RESOURCES
Before you light that fuse consider who may be harmed by fireworks. Humans, animals and the environment can be devastated by the loud explosions and toxic debris. In the right conditions, fireworks can even start forest fires.
Animals in zoos and aquariums have to endure the added anxiety on top of the everyday stress that captivity causes when these institutions use fireworks during special events to bring in more visitors.
Wildlife can panic and run in fear, abandoning their young to suffer starvation, or running into traffic to meet their tragic fate. Birds become disorientated leading them to fly into homes and buildings causing mass casualties. The toxic debris left in the environment can cause entanglement and poisoning of our waterways and the animals who live there.
Companion animals are affected by the scary noises of fireworks as well. Be sure to keep your animals inside; create a safe hiding place for them to feel comfortable, experiment with a calming shirt, turn on music or the TV to help drown out the scary noises, leash walk and keep fence gates securely latched, make sure they are microchipped and tagged in the event they do escape and run, and in severe cases, ask your vet about prescribing an anxiety medication.
Some of the busiest intakes at shelters and wildlife rehabilitators are in the days and weeks following a celebration using fireworks. Support these organizations by donating, volunteering or fostering to help them continue helping our wild and companion animal friends.
Fireworks are a cause of stress, fear, anxiety and death for so many animals and people. Please celebrate compassionately and responsibly.
