Events
Humane Hoax Chicken Webinar
Saturday, May 4, 2024
Join us for our Humane Hoax Chicken Webinar on Saturday, May 4, 2024. May 4th is International Respect for Chickens Day and we are dedicating our event to the woman who created this day of action, the late Karen Davis, the founder and president of United Poultry Concerns. Her work, dedication, and legacy advocating for chickens lives on through events like this one. We believe that chickens are the most exploited of the farmed land animals, and certainly in the greatest numbers. We want to focus our attention on them with this unique event and this year is especially poignant with the loss of one of the greatest advocates for chickens to ever to walk the earth, Karen Davis. This event is dedicated to her and we will have a special segment of video tributes in her honor.
We have great presenters this year with some fascinating topics. Be sure to register today!
2024 Speakers
NOTE: ALL TIMES ARE PACIFIC TIME
10:00 - 10:10 am PT: Welcome! with Alastor Van Kleeck, Triangle Chicken Advocates & The Microsanctuary Movement
Avian Influenza's Threat to Chickens & Public Health - How We Can Take Action with Crystal Heath
More than 80 million backyard and commercially raised farmed birds have been killed to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Disturbingly, an increasing number of birds are being killed by sealing up buildings and pumping in heat in a method known as ventilation shutdown plus (VSD+). The American Veterinary Medical Association has condoned this cruel method, allowing animal agribusiness to receive tens of millions in taxpayer-funded bailouts. Learn about how animal protection advocates can help bridge the divide and help veterinarians make real change happen. Crystal will also share the story of one sanctuary that survived HPAI, and how they did it.
Dr. Crystal Heath is an AVMA-member veterinarian, a graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and co-founder of Our Honor, an organization that supports veterinarians and animal professionals in advocating for the best interests of others, no matter their species. She is also on the founding committee of Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown, and on the board of LEAP - Leaders for Ethics, Animals and the Planet.
10:10 - 10:50 am PT
Crystal Heath, DVM, Our Honor
10:50 - 11:00 am PT: Q & A with Crystal Heath
11:00 - 11:45 am PT
Chicken Microsanctuary Panel
Tracey Glover, Sweet Peeps Sanctuary Tracey is an animal activist, biophiliac, vegan author of “Lotus of the Heart” and forthcoming children’s book “Chicken’s Are Animals too! Fannie goes to Washington”, and Mama Hen at Sweet Peeps Microsanctuary as well as founding director at Awakening Respect and Compassion for all Sentient Beings (ARC).
Alastor Van Kleeck (They/Them) has a Ph.D. in English and lives with their partner, Roz, near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They spend most of their time working at the Triangle Chicken Advocates Sanctuary, which Alastor and Roz founded in 2014, and which inspired them to start The Microsanctuary Movement together later that year. Alastor’s writing is available at strivingwithsystems.com.
Tamara Brown, The Browns’ Microsanctuary is located in Canada and is a sanctuary for chickens rescued from industrial and small-scale egg & meat farming, abused or neglected pets, and backyard butchery.
The Cage-Free Conundrum, with Hope Bohanec
In this presentation, Hope will explore the recent trajectory of the animal advocacy movement toward encouraging industries to transition to cage-free systems and other animal welfare campaigns. Cage-free eggs are now 40% of the US egg market and both the industry and animal advocates are promoting this as a major victory…but is this something to celebrate? Hope will propose that our movement’s focus is out of balance and that we are relying too heavily on impractical strategies and fragile legislation that may not lead us to farmed animal freedom.
Hope Bohanec has been active in animal protection and environmental activism for over 30 years. She is the Executive Director of Compassionate Living and the host of the Hope for the Animals Podcast. Hope co-founded the Humane Hoax Project, the Ahimsa Living Project . Hope has also published two books on the subject of humanewashing and greenwashing: The Ultimate Betrayal: Is There Happy Meat? and The Humane Hoax: Essays Exposing the Myth of Happy Meat, Humane Dairy, and Ethical Eggs. Over the last three decades, she has worked for the national non-profits United Poultry Concerns and In Defense of Animals as well as contributed chapters to two anthologies.
11:45 - 12:30 pm PT
Hope Bohanec, Compassionate Living
12:30 - 12:40 pm PT: Q & A with Hope Bohanec
We lost an icon of animal activism last year. Karen Davis, PhD, founder and president of United Poultry Concerns, UPC. In this segment, we will show some short videos from people who knew her, were inspired by her, and want to share what she meant to them. This will be our love letter to Karen, whose work will not be forgotten.
Karen passed away peacefully on the morning of November 4, 2023 at home surrounded by her beloved birds. She has been a leading figure in the Animal Rights movement, passionately, tirelessly and unapologetically advocating for the birds. She was an inspiration to many of us. Her vision and legacy will continue through the UPC sanctuary at Machipongo, VA, and their vegan advocacy work.
12:40 - 1:10 pm PT
Video Tribute in Honor of Karen Davis, PhD
