Attracting attention and members through plans for volunteering with the Upper Valley Humane Society and weekly dinner discussions, the Dartmouth Animal Welfare Group has reemerged under an active leadership team of underclassmen this term, according to co-president Laura Bergsten '15. Members of DAWG are also working with student leaders at Ivy League institutions in preparation for the first Ivy League Vegan Conference, to be held at the University of Pennsylvania at the end of March.
Although DAWG was founded in 2006, the group's activism has waned in the past few years, according to former president Kelly McGlinchey '12.
The group has received a "huge amount of interest" in response to campus-wide emails regarding the upcoming vegan conference, according to co-president Jennifer Davidson '15. Members also traveled to the Upper Valley Humane Society last week to receive training, and the group hopes to donate money and attend community events in the future, according to Bergsten.
"All 17 of us who went fell completely in love with the shelter," she said.
DAWG has earned the title of a "green" group on campus and is linked with the Office of Sustainability. Members of DAWG's leadership attend directorate meetings weekly to consider sustainability issues, particularly in relation to the environment and animals, according to DAWG's treasurer, Holly Wakeman '14.
"This year has been great because I transitioned leadership, and the '15s have been all over it, which is wonderful," she said.
Although the club promotes awareness about the origin of food and the treatment of animals involved in food production, DAWG does not focus solely on veganism or vegetarianism.
"A lot of people think that we are this crazy, radical vegan group, but we are not," Davidson said. "Most of our members are not vegetarians, let alone vegans, so we are open to anyone."
DAWG instead aims to encourage campus discussion about issues regarding animals and animal welfare, Davidson said.
"We don't promote veganism, just the fair treatment of animals," she said.
As the only group focused on animal welfare on campus, DAWG has been able to start campus dialogue about animal rights, Pre-Vet Society president Michelle Evans '13 said.
Recently, the group has evolved to place greater focus on veganism and vegetarianism mainly because the leadership team consists largely of vegans and vegetarians, according to Bergsten, who added that vegan food is served at DAWG dinner discussions.
Evans said the group's discussion of food choices like veganism and vegetarianism foster positive decisions among students, enabling individuals to make an impact while in college without tackling a more complex issue, like eradicating animal cruelty in the Upper Valley.
The Pre-Vet Society hopes to collaborate with DAWG in the future to volunteer at the Humane Society, according to Evans.
New members said that DAWG has increased its campus outreach efforts this term and is gaining popularity.
"I actually didn't know about it before this term, so I probably would have joined earlier if I had known," Anne Rao '14 said.
Leaders in the organization said they have dedicated more time to attracting members and improving activism through programming that includes campus speakers and emphasizes the accessibility of the issues at hand.
"Anyone who cares at all about, or is just curious about being a vegetarian or being vegan or loves animals is welcome to come," Wakeman said.
