Activist Appreciation Month Celebrates 10th Anniversary!
Celebrate our 10th annual Activist Appreciation Month with us! Launched in 2016 to support animal advocates and prevent burnout, this month-long program continues to offer healing, connection, and practical tools through webinars, support groups, a dedicated support line, and trainings. This year’s line-up includes inspiring conversations with The Omnivore’s Deception author John Sanbonmatsu and Vegan Mental Health author Stephen Balfour, plus much more. See the full program and watch the replays below!
10 Years of Supporting Activists
Revisit our themes for the past decade! We’ve got specialized resources for your activism and wellbeing.
2016 Activist Awards & Support Line
2017 Self-Care & Hope for Animals Summit
2018 Prevent Burnout & Heal Compassion Fatigue
2019 Activist Tips & Activist Love Poem by Sean Hill
2020 Love Animal Activists & Activist Author Interviews
2021 Homo Ahimsa Award & Black Vegans Making History Roundtable
2022 Valentine’s Giveaway & Activist Spotlights
2023 Interspecies Activism & Soulful Activist Virtual Retreat
2024 Animal Rescue & Grounding Tools
2025 Healing Hearts & Trauma Exposure from Animal Cruelty
2026 Take part below!
Activist Appreciation Month Events
February 3, 3 p.m. PT: Elephant Action Team
Join our dedicated Elephant Action Team to ensure that when zoos spin their stories in the media, we are there to set the record straight. We need a squad of rapid-responders who can act locally when a "Worst Zoo" tries to hide the truth. Receive special, high-impact resources and training to:
- Contact newsrooms and put elephants on the agenda.
- Submit Letters to the Editor (LTEs) to local papers.
- Post factual comments to counter zoo propaganda.
If you missed the meeting, please reach out to help: elephants@idausa.org
February 9: Vegan Mentor Support Group
Whether you're new to veganism and could use support, or you've been vegan for years, join our monthly mentorship group for guidance and community. Have questions or challenges? We’re here to help. Facilitated by our Farmed Animals Campaign Specialist Lia Wilbourn who brings years of experience and passion for animal rights, health, and sustainability. Together, we'll explore:
- Navigating social pressure and tense situations
- Maintaining vibrant health on a plant-based vegan diet
- Understanding the ethics and urgency of veganism
- Staying inspired and motivated
- Speaking up for animals
February 12, 4 p.m. PT: Polyvagal Theory with Paul White, PhD
Dr. Paul White will explore polyvagal theory as an approach to understanding and regulating the nervous system via the mind-body connection. He will guide participants through a process to feel the benefits in the body, rather than just intellectually.
Paul White is a Doctor of Mind-Body Medicine and licensed psychotherapist who supports activists, helpers, and animal advocates in navigating chronic stress and the emotional toll of caring deeply. His work is integrative and trauma-informed, with a strong focus on nervous-system regulation and embodied resilience.
February 13, 2 p.m. PT: Somatic Toolkit for Sustainable Activism with Devi Daly
Yoga teacher Devi Daly offers a toolkit for sustainable self-care for activists. In this somatic yoga and meditation practice, you'll be guided through exercises to connect with your body, regulate your nervous system and release deep-seated tension. This is an invitation to pause, process, and cultivate the inner calm needed to sustain your compassion work.
Devi Daly is a yoga teacher and author known for blending yin yoga, somatic movement, and meditation. Her healing journey began 25 years ago when she discovered yoga while navigating addiction and chronic pain. She has since dedicated her life to helping others awaken their body's natural healing abilities. A vegan for thirteen years, she is recognized for the compassionate, authentic approach she brings to her work. She is a regular contributor to Yoga Journal and the author of the forthcoming Chair Yoga Deck from Penguin Random House. She teaches yoga classes on her YouTube channel and her membership app, Devi Daly Yoga.
February 18 (plus virtual training February 11): California State Lobby Day for Animals
Join us to advocate for animals at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Our Director of Communications and International Partnerships Fleur Dawes leads the way as she visits legislators to promote bills and campaigns that improve the lives of all animals. Materials and training will be provided. Register for our strategy session on February 11 at 4 p.m. PT to plan and get the details. We’ll record the meeting if you can’t make it live!
February 19, 12 p.m. PT: Thriving in a Non-Vegan World with Author Stephen Balfour
Join us for an interview with Stephen Balfour, author of Vegan Mental Health: How to Survive and Thrive in a Non-Vegan World. Stephen will discuss his vegan journey and will share thoughtful insights from his book, along with practical tools and approaches to help vegans maintain and strengthen their mental wellbeing.
Stephen's book explores how activists can learn to:
- Manage anxiety, depression, trauma and grief related to animal suffering
- Let go of guilt and forgive yourself for your pre-vegan past
- Advocate effectively without burning out
- Use self-regulation and resilience to make self-care part of your activism
- Understand the benefits of working with a vegan counsellor
- Support vegan friends, clients or family members who may be struggling
Vegan for over 20 years, Stephen has volunteer and paid experience working with a variety of vegan advocacy organisations in the UK. Since qualifying as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist in 2021, Stephen has supported many vegan clients.
February 20, 2 p.m. PT: “Can Dogs and Cats Eat Vegan Food?” with Virtuous Vittles CEO Briana Schweizer
Virtuous Vittles CEO and Co-founder Briana Schweizer answers this question and more in our lively interview. Virtuous Vittles was founded to rethink one of the most overlooked parts of the food system— what we feed our animal companions. While most discussions about sustainable and healthy eating focus on human diets, pet food remains a major source of meat consumption with real consequences for animal welfare, environmental impact, and long-term health. Virtuous Vittles addresses this challenge with evidence-based, plant-powered nutrition formulated specifically for dogs’ biological needs.
Virtuous Vittles offers 100% plant-based, complete and balanced meals for dogs and cats, made in a first-on-the-market morsels in gravy texture. Each recipe is crafted with human-grade, whole-food ingredients, formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, and designed to meet or exceed AAFCO nutritional guidelines.
Briana Schweizer is the Co-Founder and CEO of Virtuous Vittles, a plant-based pet food company creating nutritious, delicious meals for dogs and cats. An artist and regenerative designer, she brings a background in marketing, creative leadership, and science-informed product development to her work. Known for weaving together scientific rigor and creative practice, Briana founded Virtuous Vittles to align taste, health, and values—and to help build a more empathetic, humane, and sustainable food system for animal companions.
February 22, 2 p.m. PT: Animal Victory Meetup with Campaigns Director Lisa Levinson
In Defense of Animals Campaigns Director Lisa Levinson will speak on sustainable activism at the Animal Victory Meetup, a new weekly space in Los Angeles to connect, organize, and take action. Together with activists from local and international advocacy groups, we’ll build community, share skills, and strategize on campaigns. This meetup is open to anyone interested in helping animals, regardless of experience level or diet. Whether you’re brand new to activism or deeply involved already, you belong here.
When: Sunday, February 22, 2 p.m. PT
Where: Grand Hope Park, 919 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90015
February 23, 2 p.m. PT: Activist Healing Circle with Lisa Levinson and Marinda Lombardi
Health concerns can be troubling for animal activists who value caring for others. If you’re dealing with a health issue, whether acute or chronic, join our virtual healing circle for encouragement and support. This circle is facilitated by In Defense of Animals Campaigns Director and Animal Chaplain Lisa Levinson and animal activist and chronic illness survivor Marinda Lombardi.
February 25, 4 p.m. PT: Interview and Book Reading with Omnivore’s Deception Author John Sanbonmatsu, PhD
In his presentation, John Sanbonmatsu will talk about his new book, The Omnivore's Deception, a deeply observed philosophical meditation on the nature of our relationship with animals. Peeling back the myriad layers of myth, falsehoods, and bad faith that keep us eating meat, the book offers a novel perspective on our troubled relations with animals in the food economy. The problem with raising and killing animals for food isn't just that it's "bad for the environment,” but the wrong way to live a human life. John will read passages from his chapters on slavery, Michael Pollan, and "femivorism."
John Sanbonmatsu, Professor of Philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, is an internationally recognized scholar in Critical Animal Studies. His most recent book, The Omnivore's Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and Ourselves (2025)--recently issued in special paperback edition by PETA--has been called “the best book ever written” on veganism and animal rights by Our Hen House, Jeffrey Moussaief Masson, and FORBES magazine. John is editor of the book Critical Theory and Animal Liberation, as well as creator and curator of the CleanMeat-Hoax website, which criticizes cellular or synthetic meat as a distraction from animal advocacy. His opeds on animal issues have appeared in CounterPunch, Huffington Post, and other places.
February 26, 5 p.m. PT: Animal Activist Online Support Group
Find acceptance and comradery with fellow animal activists during our confidential monthly support group, where you can safely share your feelings without judgement. Bring your concerns, share your stories and brainstorm solutions. We’re here for each other! Facilitated by In Defense of Animals Campaigns Director and Animal Chaplain Lisa Levinson with guest therapists and counselors from time to time.
February 26, 10:30 p.m. PT Opening & February 27 10 a.m. PT Sharing: Global Circle of Light for the Animal Kingdom
The Global Circle of Light for the Animal Kingdom is the threshold where this arc completes and expands—where care for one another widens to include all sentient life. This event is part of Compassion Games and hosted by The Light for the Animal Kingdom, which is a member organization of In Defense of Animals’ Interfaith Vegan Coalition. Campaigns Director Lisa Levinson will speak during the sharing portion of the event.
This free 24-hour online gathering is a collective, non-political, non-denominational act of recognition and responsibility. Across cultures, faiths, and nations, people come together to pause, to witness, and to affirm that the Animal Kingdom is not separate from us, but kin within the living web of life.
Mini-Grant Recipients: (left) Deaf homeless cat with ear cancer in San Francisco, California gets medical treatment from LeesaMaree Bleicher with grant funds; (right) Child at Rakai Vulnerable Home Center in Uganda holds vegan food supplies purchased with grant.
Mini-Grant
We awarded one mini-grant for animal rescue to LeesaMaree for helping community cats in San Francisco and another for vegan advocacy to Rakai Vulnerable Home Center in Uganda to fund meals and programs at this vegan orphanage.
Activist Support
Activist Appreciation Month is part of our Sustainable Activism campaign to support activists’ vital work to help animals via a support line, support groups, and activist healing retreats.
Our free 24-hour Animal Activist Support Line is for animal advocates everywhere, regardless of their affiliation. The line offers free counseling and resources for activists, by activists. Counselors are trained in nonviolent communication techniques and most are professional therapists and coaches who practice a vegan lifestyle.
Counselors can be reached by phone, text, email, and online chat at 1(800) 705-0425 at the Animal Activist Support Line. Find emotional, physical, and spiritual resources on our Activist Resource List.
Resources
Check out these specific resource pages for two popular activist topics!
Compassion Fatigue: Resources and strategies to prevent burnout
Self-Care: Alternative healing modalities to improve your health
Services
Connect with our counselors by phone, email, text, or online chat: www.idausa.org/activistsupport
Access our religion-specific Vegan Advocacy Kits to help you veganize your place of worship: www.interfaithvegancoalition.org
Join our monthly support group and find helpful webinars to practice sustainable activism: www.idausa.org/events
Support
Support Line: Free counseling, mediation, resources, and therapist referrals by phone, text, email, and online chat.
Activist Resource List: Your one-stop shop for strategy and physical, emotional, and spiritual support. Includes a list of vegan therapists. Access our resources.
Monthly Support Groups: Register for our online events and watch replays of previous webinars here.
Access our Activist Appreciation Month resources from 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 featuring activist self-care tips, stories, and more. Watch our Hope for Animals Summit replays!
We want you to be sustainable activists! Tell us what support services you need at sustainableactivism@idausa.org. We value your ideas. Reach out to us today!
