One-Minute Activist Tutorial
Action Alerts From Animal Defenders of Westchester (ADOW)

We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts.

One-Minute Activist Tutorial

From: Kiley Blackman
May 2, 2014

1) If you can't go to Albany to lobby, you can and should lobby local legislators in your district! You are all lobbyists right now; a lobbyist is 'a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest.' Anytime you contact your legislators, sign petitions etc you are lobbying. So now Take it the Next Step!

Animal advocates will attend Bar Association 'How to lobby' seminars, will attend 'how to be an activist' meetings, will go to meetings and conferences in Washington!! which is all fine - but you won't go to a protest rally here to speak up for the animals and educate the public...you won't go directly to your legislators and make requests. Why not? It's what the hunters do. Take a few other advocates with you, go sit in your local legislator's office and tell them what you want.

2) If you're going to go to 'How to be an activist' meetings, also go hand a stranger a pamphlet about animal abuse at a tabling event or a protest rally - many many people are still unaware. Start your own TV show, get a billboard, do a library event 

3) Persistence is the key with legislators: It took a long time just to get an appt with Congressman Engel, and months of followup for the Latimer bill - but we did it, we got a great bill as a result of it and we're working on a third legislator. We'll be happy to answer any questions.

The USDA has responded to Rep. Engel's letter of concern; followup info will be provided shortly.

Similar advice is offered in this link; this is regarding hunters...but it applies to all animal exploiters - Know they Enemy. Do the Opposite.

Any effort for liberation takes years, even centuries; for the animals its worse than any human liberation effort...and yet, things are changing, perceptions are changing. Thanks to everyone for moving the AR movement along!

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