Civic Engagement for Animals

The Power of Local Political Activism

Join me today in conversation with Tim Anderson, animal advocate, co-founder and board member of the East Bay Animal PAC, and engaged citizen.

We met over a decade ago working to stop backyard animal slaughter from becoming legal in our city, and as a result, he became one of my closest friends — and biggest inspirations.  

In today’s episode, Tim

• shares ideas for effective engagement with elected officials
• talks about the power of local civic engagement to promote compassionate policies
• offers numerous ways to get involved locally on behalf of animals — finding friendships and our own authentic voice along the way.

Citizen Tim

Tim has been involved in grassroots organizing for 25 years. His efforts include work on the successful senatorial campaign for Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone, and the 2008 presidential election of Barack Obama. Locally, he’s worked on various Oakland mayoral and city council elections, as well as city-wide ballot initiatives. 

He used to volunteer as a photographer at the Oakland Animal Shelter, where he adopted his adorable dog, Rex. And among many other things, he is responsible for a weekly clean-up group in his neighborhood, which came out of neighbors joining this guy who was outside every week picking up garbage.

Tim also spoke at my Compassion in Action conferences two years in a row, volunteered with me on numerous occasions when I needed help tabling at speaking events, and was a long-time supporter of my Food for Thought podcast.

FUN FACT

Tim and I have spent a lot of time at Farm Sanctuary together, and I’m very lucky to have been on the receiving end of his photography skills. If you visited the page for the podcast episode The Burden of Burros and the Plight of Donkeys, you’ll see many photos of me with my donkey friends. Tim took many of those photos (see below), along with hundreds of others of me and other animals.

Yeah, he’s amazing.