Animal Rock Back On The Rock
Jill Lauri spearheaded “Animal Rock”
Not so much lions, and tigers, and bears.
The annual Animal Rock returned this year to celebrate human relationships with animals. The event allowed people to get information on ways to help animals such as rescues for adoption, options for victims of domestic violence and their pets, as well as wildlife conservation.
“The animal kingdom serves as a model for how individual differences can strengthen the fabric of our community,” said Animal Communication and Coaching Professional, Jill Lauri, who puts on Animal Rock. “The many different animal species all work together to create an ecosystem able to sustain life on the planet,,” she said.
Lauri founded the occasion back in 2017 to increase the knowledge and empathy that humans have towards animals. There were raffle prizes, pet adoptions, animal blessings, and dog treats given out. Mara’s Ice Cream Parlor & Thai Rock were offering special treats for Animal Rock attendees, much of which specialized in serving vegan food.
Rev. Dr. Eleni Marudis, Interfaith Chaplain blessed animals at the event. Organizations such as PeTA , the American Littoral Society, and the NY Marine Rescue Center gave out information on various land and marine life and what they face in their environment.
Being a professional Animal Communicator and Coach, Lauri uses her expertise in helping owners communicate with animals along with coaching on pet loss and transformation. She offers people guidance through emotional challenges with their pets and helps distraught pet owners navigate illness, aging, grief, and loss.
Much of the day was not only shaped by helping those with beloved animals, but advocating for animals/species that have been undervalued.
“In this year’s Animal Rock event, we introduced the concept of Speciesism, the assumption of human superiority leading to the exploitation of animals. As with other “isms”, deeming a particular group of beings inferior sets them up to be oppressed.” Lauri explained.
While some animals like dogs and cats receive much love and care, the same compassion is not necessarily granted towards other animals leading to their mistreatment in daily life.
Lauri, along with many other animal rights advocates, has sought to enact laws in NY focusing on two major animal rights concerns. Attendees were invited to sign two petitions; one (Intro 4-End the Sale of Guinea Pigs in NYC Pet Stores) that would ban the sale of guinea pigs in pet stores, and the much-discussed banning of carriage horses (Intro 573-Ban Horse Carriages in NYC), like the ones around Central Park.
According to The City, the guinea pig population is so high city shelters cannot take care of them all, with the number of critters being given to shelters increasing since 2019.
“We arbitrarily decide that some animals like dogs and cats are deserving of kindness and protection and others are not. We have created institutions that place them in cruel and abusive conditions. This “speciesism” gets expressed in many facets of our lives including food, entertainment, clothing, and experiments,” said Lauri.
People were encouraged to sign petitions that addressed the overgrowth of the guinea pig population, the NYC horse carriage industry and its treatment of its horses, puppy mills and advocacy of cruelty free cosmetics.
Furry friends were treated to pets, treats and blessings.