Institute For Animal Happiness

FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE RESCUE NEGLECTED, ABUSED, HOMELESS AND DISCARDED ANIMALS ON A REGULAR BASIS - INCLUDING MANY WHO ARE OFTEN DISABLED, AS SPACE ALLOWS AT THE MICROSANCTUARY FACILITY. IN ADDITION TO WHOM WE CAN GIVE GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE TO IN OUR SMALL SPACE, WE HELP OTHERS SET UP TO CARE FOR BIRDS VIA PROVIDING THEM WITH "RESCUE AND FOSTER KITS", AND ADVISE ON HEALTH CARE OF RESCUED BIRDS TO OTHER PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS LITERALLY AROUND THE GLOBE ON A DAILY BASIS.- IN 2021, HUDSON VALLEY VEGFEST CONTINUED TO RUN ON MULTIPLE ONLINE CHANNELS AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE PROMOTING LOCAL VEGAN OPTIONS AND EDUCATION ON ANIMAL ADVOCACY, DESPITE THE PANDEMIC KEEPING THE LIVE IN-PERSON EVENT PAUSED.- WE TOOK PART IN SEVERAL ONLINE EDUCATIONAL FORUMS CENTERED ON THE SUBJECTS OF ANIMAL RIGHTS AND CHICKEN CARE.- THE HAPPY VEGAN CART FREE FOOD PROJECT (WWW.HAPPYVEGCANCART.ORG) CONTINUED TO BE SUCH A STRONG PROGRAM AND WE SERVED OVER 1200 MEALS TO COMMUNITY IN 2021. AS PART OF THIS POGRAM, WE ALSO CREATED THE FIRST-EVER FREE VEGAN HOLIDAY (THANKSGIVING SEASON) DINNER DISTRIBUTION, CALLED THE HAPPY HARVEST DINNER. THIS IS THE ONLY COMPLETELY PLANT-BASED FREE VEGAN HOLIDAY MEAL DISTRIBUTION IN THE HUDSON VALLEY. 2021 WAS OUR FIRST YEAR AND WE SERVED 70 PEOPLE A FULL 5 COURSE DINNER. - IN 2021 WE CREATED THE FIRST ONLINE COMMUNITY FORUM ON HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA, BRINGING TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM FIVE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE HUDSON VALLEY TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON HPAI AND HOW TO PROTECT AVIAN AND HUMAN LIFE. THE FORUM ONLINE WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 200 PEOPLE AND THEN WAS THEN PUT ONLINE FOR STREAMING AND HAS REACHED THOUSANDS MORE, LIKELY CONTRIBUTING GREATLY TOWARDS KEEPING HPAI FROM SPREADING IN OUR COUNTY AND REGION. WE WERE THE FIRST AND ONLY ORGANIZATION IN NY STATE TO PROMOTE SAFETY PUBLICLY AND BROADLY, TO TEACH CARE INFORMATION ON THIS SUBJECT AND TO CREATE A FORUM TO HELP MITIGATE A CRISIS. - WE CONTINUED OUR WORK OF RESCUE, DESPITE AVIAN INFLUENZA AND THE CHALLENGES IT PRESENTED, INSTALLING STRONG BIOSECURITY AND RESCUING BIRDS LIKE AVIVA AND MEHNAMENA.