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Activists in 20 Cities Protest Adidas Over Kangaroo Slaughter

December 8, 2023 by Comments are off for this post


The News

On December 2nd and 3rd, hundreds of animal rights activists in 20 cities staged protests at Adidas stores in support of a global effort to compel the sportswear company to stop using kangaroo skin in its soccer cleats. Australia’s Animal Justice Party, which is advocating for a ban on kangaroo slaughter in the Parliament, organized the global day of action in support of the Center for a Humane Economy’s “Kangaroos are Not Shoes” campaign. Advocacy groups staged protests in Australia, Canada, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States.

“Adidas states that it opposes the inhumane slaughter of kangaroos, but bludgeoning and orphaning a half-a-million joeys every year is the antithesis of humane,” said Jennifer Skiff, campaign director at the Center for a Humane Economy. “The global protest was a call on Adidas to uphold its pledge to operate humanely.“

Photo of commercial kangaroo hunt and Adidas soccer cleat made from kangaroo skin

Adidas claims that the leather used in its soccer cleats is sourced from kangaroos who are slaughtered humanely. The Center for a Humane Economy has provided the company with evidence demonstrating otherwise.

During the protests, participants read an Animal Justice Party manifesto decrying Adidas’s support of the kangaroo hunt: “Adidas, you have the power to change, to be on the right side of history. We are watching. The world is watching. We will hold you to account, and we will keep coming back until you stop killing kangaroos.”

@centerforahumaneeconomy

@adidas we are watching. The world is watching. kangaroosarenotshoes

♬ original sound – centerforahumaneeconomy – centerforahumaneeconomy

According to the Center for a Humane Economy, the nightly kangaroo hunt represents the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife in the world. Because Adidas is the only large shoe manufacturer still using kangaroo leather, the company is the primary target of animal rights groups.

Photo of 80 animal rights activists protesting Adidas in Sydney, Australia

During a protest at the Adidas store in Sydney, Australia, the Animal Justice Party called on the company to stop killing kangaroos to make soccer cleats

“Animals inhabit this planet with us, not for us,” said Edita Birnkrant, the Executive Director of NYCLASS, an organizer of the NYC protest. “When we learned that Adidas was paying hunters to slaughter kangaroos and steal their skin, advocates in New York wanted to join the global fight to protect them.”

“Our request is simple, and it’s fair,” said Donny Moss of TheirTurn.net, an organizer of the NYC protest. “We’re asking that Adidas join Nike, Puma, Diadora and New Balance in switching from kangaroo skin to cruelty-free materials, which are readily available to the company. With one call to his product development team, Adidas’s CEO Bjørn Gulden could put the wheels in motion to make this ethical upgrade.”

Photo of article in Yahoo News about the kangaroo skin protests at Adidas stores in Europe, Australia and the United States

During protests in Europe, Australia and the United States, animal rights activists called on Adidas to stop making soccer cleats out of kangaroo skin

In July, 2023, Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick re-introduced the Kangaroo Protection Act. If passed, the law would ban the importation and sale of kangaroo products in the United States. The state of California banned the import and sale of products made from kangaroos in 1971. In 2023, NY State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal introduced similar legislation.

@theirturn

See how #adidas customers, employees and the NYPD react to #kangaroosarenotshoes protest.

♬ original sound – Donny Moss

The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Justice Party assert that the #KangaroosAreNotShoes campaign, which is growing in size, scope and strength, will ultimately compel Adidas to replace “k-leather” with a cruelty-free alternative.


‘Kangaroos Are Not Shoes’ Campaign Reaches Adidas’s Backyard in Germany

October 26, 2023 by 1 comment


The News

Inspired by protests in the United States and Australia, animal rights activists in Germany have joined the global campaign to compel sportswear giant Adidas, which is based in Germany, to stop making football cleats out of kangaroo skin. In the past two months, activists with Their Skin Hamburg have conducted six protests in Hamburg and Frankfurt.

“Adidas claims to source its materials in a humane manner, but the unnecessarily killing, traumatizing and bludgeoning defenseless kangaroos is cowardly, cruel and unbecoming of a brand that has the financial means to switch to synthetic, cruelty-free materials,” said Pantalaimon Sander of Their Skin Hamburg.We will continue to protest Adidas in its own backyard until the company announces an end to its use of kangaroo skin.”

Photo of Emma Hurst, Donny Moss and James Cromwell protesting at Adidas stores

Animal rights activists, including Australian Member of Parliament Emma Hurst and American actor James Cromwell, protest at Adidas over the company’s refusal to stop killing kangaroos to make football cleats.

In early 2022, the Center for a Humane Economy launched the Kangaroos Are Not Shoes campaign to help put a stop to the world’s largest commercial slaughter of land-based wildlife. Since then, the organization has worked with state and federal lawmakers in the United States to introduced bills that would ban the sale of kangaroo parts.

Photo of Kangaroos Are Not Shoes Campaign

In 2022, the Center for a Humane Economy launched the Kangaroos Are Not Shoes Campaign to curb the slaughter of wild kangaroos in Australia.

As part of the campaign, the Center for a Humane Economy has called on the largest football cleat manufacturers to switch from “k-leather” to cruelty-free materials. With Nike, Puma and New Balance announcing a kangaroo-free policies in 2023, Adidas becomes the last multinational sportswear company to continue using kangaroo skin.

Despite the growth of the #KangaroosAreNotShoes campaign, Adidas has made no indication that it plans to stop using kangaroo skin. In a recent letter to the Center for a Humane Economy, Adidas’s Senior Vice President of Sustainability Policy & Engagement, Frank Henke, defended the company’s decision, claiming that kangaroo slaughter is humane: “Adidas is opposed to kangaroos being killed in an inhumane or cruel manner…. Licensed operators must comply with a stringent code of practice which controls how they operate.”

Photo of Frank Henke, Senior VP of Adidas

Frank Henke, the Senior Vice President of Sustainability Policy & Engagement at Adidas, claims that his company “is opposed to kangaroos being killed in an inhumane or cruel manner,” yet Adidas continues to sell kangaroo skin football cleats despite the well documented proof that the kangaroo hunt is inhumane.

In response, the Center for a Humane Economy’s President, Wayne Pacelle, argued that the hunt is inherently inhumane: “The shoots result in the orphaning and killing of 300,000 – 500,000 joeys a year. In whose estimation could orphaning—resulting in either starvation or bludgeoning of the newborns—be considered humane? Assurances from the industry and the Australian government, relating to humane’ and sustainable’ practices associated with the hunt, are without any merit when one considers the all-consuming fear and suffering endured by the juveniles — first watching their mothers die, and then expiring in short order without maternal care. To simply say that the kill is regulated is an act of faith, not a matter of animal welfare science. Nor does it meet any kind of common-sense understanding of whats happening in the field in Australia.”

Photo of Adidas's policy surrounding the use of animals in their products

Despite the well documented cruelty associated with the commercial kangaroo hunt, Adidas claims to be opposed to kangaroos being killed in an inhumane or cruel manner.

As the Center for a Humane Economy attempts to reason with Adidas in the boardroom, grassroots organizers have pledged to continue confronting the company at its retail stores in the United States, Europe and Australia. Animal rights activists in the U.S. are also planning additional protests at Dick’s Sporting Goods, the country’s largest retail distributor of kangaroo skin cleats. That effort, dubbed #DontBeADicks, began with a disruption inside of a Dick’s store in New York City.


Animal Rights Activists Protest Kangaroo Leather In Dick’s Sporting Goods

September 18, 2023 by 2 comments


The News

As part of the global “Kangaroos are Not Shoes” campaign led by The Center for a Humane Economy, over 20 animal rights activists disrupted business inside of a Dick’s Sporting Goods, the country’s largest retail distributor of kangaroo-leather shoes.  While inside the store, the activists called shoppers’ attention to the “k-leather” soccer cleats on display and staged a die-in in the footwear department. After approximately 15 minutes, NYPD officers removed the protesters from the store. The protest continued on the sidewalk out front, where the activists educated Dick’s customers about k-leather and the large-scale commercial slaughter of wild kangaroos.

“Dick’s Sporting Goods claims to be ‘responsible stewards of the planet’, but trafficking in wildlife parts after fires wiped out hundreds of millions of Australian animals is the epitome of irresponsibility and greed,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of The Center for a Humane Economy, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group. “Dick’s should join Nike and Puma in pledging to stop selling products made from kangaroo skin.”

Photo of animal rights activists in NYC protesting inside of a Dick's Sporting Goods

Animal rights activists in NYC disrupt business inside of a Dick’s Sporting Goods store over the company’s refusal to stop selling kangaroo skin soccer cleats.

The protest at Dick’s took place just days after Hollywood actor James Cromwell staged a similar protest inside of an Adidas store in Soho, an upscale shopping district in Manhattan. As shoppers took out their mobile phone to record Cromwell, the Babe and Succession star urged them to make kinder choices, “Kangaroos are not shoes; they’re animals,” he said before chanting “Just Stop the Slaughter” while exiting the store with other animal rights activists.

Commercial hunters hired by soccer cleat manufacturers, like Adidas, kill approximately two million kangaroos each year, though that number will decline now that Nike and Puma have pledged to replace kangaroo leather with cruelty-free materials. The Center for a Humane Economy describes the kangaroo hunt as “the largest commercial slaughter of land-based mammals on the planet.” An estimated 40% of kangaroos are shot in the neck or body instead of the head, which often wounds the kangaroos instead of instantly killing them. Those who escape the hunters die slowly from their gunshot wounds or starvation. 

Photo of kangaroo leather soccer cleat sold by Dick's Sporting Goods

Dick’s Sporting Goods is the nation’s largest retail distributor of kangaroo skin soccer cleats

Some of the females who are shot have babies, or joeys, in their pouches or by their sides. Government guidelines dictate that hunters either decapitate or bludgeon the joeys to death. The joeys who are not in their mother’s pouch and escape from the hunters die from exposure and predation. Joeys have been documented returning to the site where their mothers are killed and standing next to the body parts that the hunters left behind. Each year, an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 joeys fall victim to the nightly kangaroo hunt.

Animal rights groups in Australia, which are especially protective of their native kangaroos, have staged kangaroo leather protests in several cities across the country. In recent months, European advocacy groups have also begun protesting kangaroo leather at an Adidas store in Germany, where the company is based.

Photo of Australian Member of Parliament Emma Hurst at a kangaroo leather protest

Emma Hurst, a Member of Australia’s Parliament, speaks to advocates during a kangaroo leather protest.

“Chasing down terrified kangaroos in the dark of night and stealing their skin to make soccer cleats is among the worst wildlife crimes on the planet,” said Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYCLASS, a NYC-based animal rights organization. “Dick’s knows that the shoes on their shelves are a product of extreme cruelty and is prioritizing profits ahead of decency.”

Photos of animal rights activists protesting Dick's over its refusal to stop selling kangaroo leather soccer cleats

Animal rights activist protest inside of a Dick’s Sporting Goods in NYC over the company’s refusal to stop selling kangaroo skin soccer cleats.

In 2023, U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill that would ban the sale of any kangaroo parts. If passed, the Kangaroo Protection Act would close off one of the world’s largest markets for kangaroo parts and dramatically curb the commercial slaughter of kangaroos.


Updates on Campaign to Help Animals Being Warehoused at Humane Society of NY

July 6, 2023 by 6 comments


The News

Background

In July 2021, whistleblowers at the Humane Society of New York (HSNY) contacted animal advocates to sound the alarm about the warehousing of dogs and cats at the large and prominent shelter in midtown Manhattan. They said that adoptions had come to a virtual standstill 15 months earlier and that the building was closed to the public under false pretenses. The whistleblowers wrote that, despite claiming to be closed due to COVID, the HSNY could not reopen its doors to the public until they made the building wheelchair accessible under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.

Photo of Humane Society of New York

The Humane Society of New York is centrally located in a heavily populated residential neighborhood in Manhattan, but members of the public have not been able to enter the building to meet the homeless animals

In the ensuing months, advocates learned that the Executive Director, Sandra DeFeo, planned to keep the building closed to the public indefinitely. Insiders said she did not want to make the renovations and was content to keep members of the public, including adopters and clients of their vet clinic, out of the building, even if that meant that prospective adopters had no way of meeting the animals.

Photo of protest at the Humane Society of New York

Animal rights activists are calling on the Humane Society of NY to send the animals in their care to foster homes

In a March 2023 TV news story, Pix11 corroborated the whistleblower allegations regarding animal warehousing, airing video clips of adoption cards with intake dates of 2018 and 2019.

Until 2020, guardrails were in place to protect the animals — a full time Adoption Director; an active board president; and an adoption center that was open to adopters. When these guardrails came down, the animals were left in the hands of an Executive Director who believes that cages are “apartments” and that the shelter is a “foster home.”

Photo taken in March 2023 of adoption card with intake date of 2018

Pix11 News corroborated whistleblower allegations that animals had been living in cages at the Humane Society of New York for several years

By warehousing cats and dogs for several years, the HSNY has needlessly created a population of animals with emotional and physical problems who are more difficult to place in forever homes.

In July 2022, approximately 30 activists protested the Humane Society of New York (HSNY) over the warehousing of animals at its shelter when actress Bernadette Peters brought the shelter’s animal trainer onto the stage during Broadway Barks, a star-studded adoption event in NYC’s theater district.

The Construction Project

After caving into pressure from advocates, who asserted that an adoption center cannot be permanently closed to adopters, DeFeo broke ground on an extensive renovation to make the lobby wheelchair accessible under ADA guidelines. The construction crew has cut an opening in the facade and is installing a wheelchair accessible elevator that opens onto the street level.

Photo of Humane Society of New York renovations

The Humane Society of New York was closed to the public for over three years and is now undergoing a major renovation, which is continuing to keep prospective adopters out of the organization’s adoption center

Despite the loud and messy renovation, which is not only limiting access to the building, but also further compromising the quality of life of the animals, the HSNY refuses to send the remaining animals to foster homes, where they would have human companions and not be confined to a cage. The advocates surmise that the HSNY continues to ignore adoption applications because they don’t want prospective adopters entering the building during the renovation.

Change in Procedure for How Adopters Meet Animals

In March 2023, the Associate Director of the HSNY, Anne-Marie Karash, told Pix11 News that the HSNY would no longer allow prospective adopters into the building unless their adoption applications were “approved.” That announcement begged many questions. How can the HSNY approve adoption applications if they are ignoring them?  How can they approve an application if the applicant hasn’t met the animal(s)? And how can they approve of prospective adopters without meeting them?

Before the HSNY closed the building to the public, prospective adopters who filled out an application in the lobby were invited into the adoption center to meet the animals. The advocates assert that the HSNY should hire an Adoption Director (to replace the one who retired in early 2020) and revert back to this process.

Prospective Adopters Give On-Camera Testimonials

In recent weeks, several seemingly well-qualified applicants who read about the animal warehousing controversy online after submitting adoption applications contacted TheirTurn to share their experience. Three of them agreed to provide on-camera testimonials.

Photo of individuals who attempted to adopt from the Humane Society of NY and never heard back

Three seemingly well qualified adopters who did not receive a response to their adoption application agreed to speak on camera

Since starting this campaign in 2021, the advocates have spoken to dozens of other prospective adopters who never received a response to their application, even when they followed up.

Advocates Protest at the Home of the HSNY’s Associate Director

During an interview with PIX11 News. Anne-Marie Karash, the Associate Director of the HSNY, attempted to justify keeping animals in cages for “years” by stating that they wait to place animals until they find “responsible homes.” Her remarks suggest that they engage in exhaustive due diligence when, in fact, they don’t even respond to adoption applications.

In April and May, advocates decided to hold Karash accountable for the misleading statements by staging protests at her Brooklyn home. The entrance to her building was bustling with people, many with dogs, who were eager to learn why the advocates were there. Several said they recognized Karash and would address our concerns with her if they bump into her.

When they arrived at Karash’s home for the first protest, a security guard who advocates recognized from the HSNY was waiting for them. Because he set up a lounge chair next to the building entrance, as if to suggest that the protest was an event worth watching, his presence drew added attention to the protest. Advocates noted that the same guard once opened his vest to reveal a gun and, on several occasions, flashed a badge, as if to suggest he is employed by the NYPD.

Photo of Humane Society of New York security guard attempting to pass himself off as an NYPD officer

A Humane Society of New York security guard, who drew more attention to a protest by setting up a lounge chair, has twice attempted to pass himself off as an NYPD officer

Letter to the NY State Attorney General and IRS

Bonnie Klapper, an attorney representing the advocates, sent a letter to the state Attorney General and the IRS asking that they conduct an investigation “to determine whether the HSNY is in violation of its charter and other federal and state rules and regulations governing nonprofits.”

Photo of letter of complaint about the Humane Society of New York sent to the NY State Attorney General and the IRS

Attorney Bonnie Klapper sent a letter to the NYS Attorney General and the IRS to ask that they undertake an investigation “to determine whether the HSNY is in violation of its charter and other federal and state rules and regulations governing nonprofits.”

Media Coverage

In June 2023, BronxNet News conducted an in-depth interview with Donny Moss of TheirTurn.net, an organizer in the campaign to help the warehoused animals.

In March, Pix11 News aired a three minute segment about the controversy and included an interview with Julie Menin, the Council Member who represents the district where the HSNY is located. During the interview, Menin said, “Why are the adoptions only one per week? That seems like a very slow pace for a relatively large organization that’s well funded. So, we do have concerns about that. We’re also concerned about why can’t the public come in?”

Advocates Receive Threatening Letters

Donny Moss and Bonnie Tischler, the former Adoption Director and a co-organizer on the campaign, received threatening and homophobic letters in the mail. The letter targeting Moss was sent to his husband at work.

Photo of letter sent to Bonnie Tischler, the former Adoption Director at the Humane Society of NY

Letter sent to Bonnie Tischler, the former Adoption Director of the Humane Society of New York and an organizer on the campaign to help the animals being warehoused there

In the letter to Tischler, the sender warned her that she “better tell your daughter to watch herself crossing the street.”

In the letter to Moss’s husband, the sender accused Moss of being a “child molester” and wrote that they “reported this behavior to police.”

Photo of letter sent to the husband of Donny Moss, an organizer in the campaign to compel the Humane Society of NY to stop warehousing animals

Letter sent to the husband of Donny Moss, an organizer in the campaign to compel the Humane Society of NY to stop warehousing animals

Lack of Promotion and Interest in Doing Adoptions

The HSNY’s website and social media platforms feature only some of the homeless animals in the shelter. With the building largely closed due to the renovations and a new policy that prevents members of the public from entering, prospective adopters have no way of knowing that some of these unlisted animals even exist.

The HSNY has also disabled comments on its social media platforms. As a result, people cannot ask questions when the HSNY posts a photo of an animal who needs a home. Furthermore, the HSNY does not respond to direct messages, according to several people who have attempted to make inquires.

When prospective adopters submit applications, they receive a discouraging automated response: “If we are interested in pursuing your application further, we will call you to discuss and then possibly make an appointment for you….Unfortunately, we cannot call everyone, but we will reach out if we are ready to take the next steps with you.”

Photo of automated reply that the Humane Society of New York sends to people who submit adoption applications

Automated reply that the Humane Society of New York sends to people who submit adoption applications

Advocates assert that, if the HSNY was serious about placing animals in forever homes, then the automated response would be more encouraging, like this: “Thank you for your application. We have many cats and dogs who are looking for forever homes. If the cat or dog in whom you’re interested is not a good match, we can probably introduce you to other wonderful animals who might be. We will review your application and follow up with you in the next one to two days.”

Photo of Vanity Fair's coverage of a protest targeting the Humane Society of New York

Vanity Fair, the Today Show and several other mainstream media outlets reported on the 2022 animal warehousing protest against the Humane Society of New York during Broadway Barks, a star-studded adoption event during which Bill Berloni, an animal trainer with the HSNY, was brought onto the stage

The HSNY runs a vet clinic in the same building as the adoption center. When advocates speak to vet clinic clients who are waiting for their animals in front of the building, the majority state that they did not know that the HSNY even has an animal shelter.

What the Advocates Want?

The advocates are calling on the HSNY to send the remaining animals to foster homes until they reopen the building to the public and resume adoptions in earnest.


Court Dismisses D.C. Restaurant Owner’s Lawsuit Against Anti-Foie Gras Activists

June 29, 2023 by 1 comment


The News

The Washington, D.C. Superior Court has ruled in favor of three animal rights activists sued for stalking by a restaurant owner attempting to curb their anti-foie gras protests and online speech. The activists, members of the D.C. Coalition Against Foie Gras, are calling on Eric Ziebold to stop selling the fatty liver product at his restaurants, Kinship and Métier.

Photos of protest at Kinship, a Washington-D.C. restaurant targeted by animal rights activists over its sale of foie gras

Washington D.C. restauranteur Eric Ziebold sued animal rights activists with the the D.C. Coalition Against Foie Gras in an effort to stifle their protests and online activity

The defendants’ lawyers, Matthew Strugar, Nigel Barrella and Chris Carraway from the University of Denver Animal Activist Defense Project, won the case by filing Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motions. The motions argued that Ziebold was attempting to silence the activists by burdening them with legal costs. The Superior Court granted the anti-SLAPP motions and dismissed Ziebold’s case. In addition to paying his own legal bills, Ziebold is obligated to pay those of the defendants.

Lead anti-SLAPP attorney Matthew Strugar stated, “Belligerent rich people like Eric Ziebold think they can shut down their critics through costly litigation. Anti-SLAPP laws are essential to protect free speech and punish bullies like Ziebold who try to weaponize the legal system to escape accountability.”

Upon hearing the verdict, defendant Lauren Melchionda made the following statement on behalf of the D.C. Coalition Against Foie Gras: “Our silence cannot be bought or won in court. We began this campaign to end the sale of foie gras in D.C due its immense cruelty. We will not capitulate what amounts to a tantrum from Eric Ziebold and once again urge him to take the pledge.”

Photo of foie gras protest in Washington, D.C.

Animal rights activists with the D.C. Coalition Against Foie Gras protest at the restaurant Kinship, which sells the fatty liver product

Co-defendant Jenn Werth added, “Eric Ziebold wants to continue operating restaurants like it’s the 80s. Meanwhile, the world around him is evolving. Foie gras has been banned in several developed countries, and D.C.’s progressive community doesn’t want to eat food that is a product of cruelty.”

According to the defendants, Ziebold grew increasingly agitated by the protests over the course of two months. On one occasion, he locked activists inside of the restaurant until police arrived and forced Ziebold to let the activists out. According to the police, forcing them to stay inside was tantamount to kidnapping.

Photo of animal rights activists holding banner that says End Foie Gras

The D.C. Coalition Against Foie Gras calls on Eric Ziebold to stop selling foie gras in his restaurants

Despite claiming that the suit was not about the protests or free speech, Ziebold’s lawyers asked the court to curb the protesters’ online activity and to prohibit future protests within 100 yards of Kinship. A magistrate judge initially approved of these restrictions, but the Superior Court Judge removed them weeks before dissolving the injunction altogether. The court found that the stalking lawsuits were meritless because Ziebold sued the activists over their speech and protest activity, and Ziebold could not show he was likely to win his cases.

Co-counsel Chris Carraway said, “This victory reaffirms you cannot weaponize an anti-stalking measure, designed to protect actual victims of stalking, to silence criticism against the inhumane treatment inherent in serving foie gras.”

Foie gras is the diseased liver of a force-fed duck or goose. Undercover investigations of the country’s largest foie gras producer, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, have repeatedly found ducks dying from their injuries or choking to death as a result of the force-feedings. “Ducks on foie gras farms have been found with broken beaks, punctured esophaguses, choking to death on their own vomit,” said Mark Schellhase, the third defendant. “It is the height of animal cruelty.”

Gavage, force feeding

Gavage, the process by which the livers of ducks and geese are fattened, is French for force feeding.

Foie gras is banned in California, Italy, Germany, the UK, and several other countries due to the cruelty associate with force-feeding.

The D.C. Coalition Against Foie Gras says it will continue protesting at Kinship and other Washington, D.C.-based restaurants until the city is foie-gras free.