The Gist: Hello VegNews Book Clubbers! I hope you had a great Mother's Day weekend, and enjoying your reading of The Bond by Wayne Pacelle. We still have some copies of the book on the VN Store, so if you don't have one already, be sure to pick one up!For this week's discussion, we read the next two chapters, which are in the second part of the book. The first chapter talks about the abuses of the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chico, Calif., in which HSUS investigated and helped to shut down. Pacelle also relates HSUS's fight to pass Proposition 2 in California, which addressed some of the worst confinement practices in factory farming. In 2008, the proposition passed, which was a huge step for the humane treatment of animals.
In the second chapter, Pacelle talks about the cruelties of animal fighting, specifically dog and cock fighting. Specifically, he talks about his work with Michael Vick, the NFL football player who ran a dog-fighting ring in Virginia, until it was raided in 2007, and Vick was sentenced to prison for 18 months. Near the end of his sentence, Vick contacted Pacelle and expressed interest in working with HSUS to help it's anti-dog-fighting campaign. Pacelle was very skeptical at first, but explains that he saw an importance in working with Vick to help get the message across about the cruelty of dog fighting, especially to the impoverished youth of America, who are more prone to these types of activities. Vick is still working with HSUS, and by the end of 2010, he had spoken to 10,000 kids in communities that are at risk.
The Discussion: Here are two discussion points to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!
1. Do you think that it was a good idea for HSUS to work with Michael Vick after he did such cruel things to animals? Why, or why not?
2. As Pacelle mentions, animal fighting is very low on the radar for most people, even though it is quite prevalent. Why do you think this is?
The Assignment: Please read the next two chapters of The Bond for our discussion on Monday, May 16. And don't miss Pacelle on The Today Show tomorrow!
~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig
