I love the exhibit hall at a conference. I love seeing what other activists are doing, and I'll admit it - it's fun to shop for food, clothing, shoes and toiletries without having to worry whether the stuff is vegan! OK, not every exhibitor at TAFA is vegan, (I've seen bowls of non-vegan candy at some exhibitor booths) but the majority of them are.

I thought this idea was brilliant. Compassion for Animals, the group behind the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale, displayed another innovative idea at the Taking Action for Animals Exhibit Hall - their pay per view booth. Non-vegans are offered $1 if they will watch a 4-minute excerpt from PETA's Meet Your Meat video. Children under 14 must have a parent's permission to view it, and the screen is hidden on 3 sides, so there's no chance a small child will inadvertently see the graphic images. Want to steal this idea? Starting August 1, VegFund.org will offer funding if you'd like to set up your own pay per view booth.

Cats Rule Feline Rescue sells an impressive selection of magnetic bumper stickers.

These cockfighting gaffs were displayed at one of The Humane Society of the United States' booths. The gaffs are attached to the birds' legs during a fight, and have a razor-sharp blade on them. Since cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states, most activists haven't seen cockfighting gaffs in real life, and it was chilling to see them up close.

My main role at TAFA was as a volunteer for the SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) booth. With fellow volunteer Alexis (at left), I sold t-shirts and bumper stickers and talked with people about SHARK's main campaigns - rodeos, bullfights, hunting, horse slaughter and pigeon shoots. SHARK is also a pioneer in activist technology, with its Tiger Video Truck to bring videos to the public and ultralight aircraft to keep wildlife away from hunters.

The faux fur on display at the Imposter booth was disturbingly realistic. I know some vegans and vegetarians who don't eat veggie meats because they seem too real, and now I know how they feel. The way the fur moved with the slightest air currents, the realistic piecing of the strips of fur, and the incredible softness made it practically indistinguishable from real fur. Would you wear a realistic fake fur? Discuss in the forum.

All photos © Doris Lin 2010, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Suggested Links:

• Would You Wear a Realistic Fake Fur? Discuss in the forum.
• How to Tell Fake Fur from Real Fur
• Cockfighting Banned in Louisiana
• Meet Your Meat PETA's Factory Farming Video
• Factory Farming FAQ

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Congressman Nick Rahall (D, WV) was named Humane Legislator of the Year, 2009 by the Humane Society Legislative Fund. Rahall is the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, and told the audience, "We must take action for animals, either one at a time or on a broader scale . . . We must do better by animals." Read my exclusive interview with Congressman Rahall.

Rahall's wife Melinda and their rescued dog Billie Sue, who stole the show at the banquet.

Speaking about animals used for food, entertainment, clothing and vivisection, HSUS president and CEO Wayne Pacelle told the audience, "All of these creatures have the same spark of life. They all want to live just as badly as we want to live."

I missed celebrity photographer Nigel Barker's presentation earlier in the day, but I spotted him at the banquet.

Comedian Hal Sparks poked fun at dog breeding ("Nature would never create a basset hound. A dog with ears longer than his legs? That'll survive!"), hunters ("I'm a hunter. I wear an orange vest so my friends don't shoot me in the head.") and fear of wildlife ("Bears don't get loose, they are loose!").

All photos © Doris Lin 2010, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Suggested Links:

• Interview with U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall
• Cockfighting Illegal in the U.S.
• Arguments For and Against Horse Slaughter
• Arguments For and Against Hunting

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I spent most of the Taking Action for Animals conference at the SHARK booth, but I was very glad that I caught Zoe Weil's presentation on humane education that I had missed the week before at the Animal Rights National conference. Weil was just inducted into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame last week, and had spoken about the importance of humane education and reaching children. She is the co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education and the author of "Most Good, Least Harm" (Buy Direct).

Weil emphasized that humane education is not about indoctrination; it's about teaching children to think critically. Instead of telling children what to think, ask questions and let them come to their own conclusions.

One way that people can reach their own conclusions is by imagining themselves in the place of others. Another woman and I volunteered for this part, and we were each told to stand barefoot on an upside down plastic crate. After several minutes, our feet hurt and it was becoming quite uncomfortable to stand on the crates. Weil asked us, if we were provided with unlimited food and water, if we would be willing to continue standing on these crates for a year? No. A day? No. The crates, of course, simulated a battery cage for egg-laying hens, although they could easily represent other factory farming situations.

Another issue that Weil talks about is the "true price" of an item, and using the example of a t-shirt, leads students through a series of questions:

• Is the item a want or a need?
• What are its effects, both positive & negative, on you, animals, the environment, other people?
• What systems perpetuate this item (i.e. what makes it easy to obtain and desirable?)
• What's the MOGO alternative?

"MOGO" is Weil's shorthand for "most good and least harm." In our session, the t-shirt discussion included pesticides, dyes, sweatshops, and transportation. The MOGO alternatives? Buying organic cotton, buying from a thrift store, or just buying fewer clothes.

And humane education is not just for children. Anyone can be a humane educator, and can teach friends, family and co-workers. The Institute for Humane Education offers free online resources as well as books, workshops, and distance learning opportunities.

All photos © Doris Lin 2010, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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I'm at the Taking Action for Animals conference this weekend, volunteering at the SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) table. If you're at TAFA, please stop by the SHARK booth and say hi!