Humane Action Pennsylvania

☀️ Last weekend, HAP volunteer Aimee Douglass spent the morning representing us at the Uptown Market in Mt. Lebanon! 🐾

We're grateful to Aimee and all of our incredible volunteers who help us connect with community members, share information about our work, and inspire more people to get involved in creating a more compassionate Pennsylvania.

If you missed us, don't worry—we'll be back at the Uptown Market on select Saturdays throughout the summer! Stop by our table to learn more about our programs, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and campaign priorities. We'd love to meet you, answer your questions, and hear what animal welfare issues matter most to you.

Be sure to say hello if you see us there! 👋🐶🐱

Interested in volunteering with HAP? We'd love to have you join our team of dedicated advocates making a difference for animals across Pennsylvania. DM us for more information!

🐾💙☀️

Today we recognize Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and celebrates Black freedom, resilience, and achievement.

At Humane Action Pennsylvania, we believe that building a more compassionate world means working toward justice, equity, and dignity for all. As we honor this important day, we reflect on the ongoing work of creating communities where everyone can thrive.

Happy Juneteenth. ❤️🖤💚

🌱 Please join us in welcoming Dr. Sally Lipsky to the HAP Advisory Council! 🌱

Dr. Lipsky is a nationally respected plant-based nutrition educator, speaker, author, and advocate for healthier, more compassionate communities. As Founder of Food for Health and President of Plant-Based Pittsburgh, she has dedicated her career to empowering people to improve their health through whole-food, plant-based nutrition.

She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Pittsburgh, a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, and is the author of the book Beyond Cancer: The Powerful Effect of Plant-Based Eating. Through presentations, classes, workshops, and community outreach, she has inspired countless individuals to embrace healthier and more compassionate food choices.

Dr. Lipsky's expertise at the intersection of human health, animal welfare, and sustainability makes her a tremendous addition to our Advisory Council. We are excited to learn from her experience and work together to advance a more compassionate future for all.

Welcome, Sally! 💚🐾🌎

🌟 Volunteer of the Month: Lew Fortwangler 🌟

This month, we're thrilled to recognize Lew Fortwangler, HAP Hive Project Coordinator, as our Volunteer of the Month! 🐝🌻

By day, Lew serves as an IT Audit Director at Federated Hermes. In his free time, he's an avid environmentalist who enjoys hiking (including a recent adventure to Glacier National Park!), golfing, bird watching, exploring Western Pennsylvania's breweries, and creating native habitat in his own backyard.

Lew brings an incredible depth of knowledge and passion to conservation. He is both a PA Master Naturalist and a PSU Master Watershed Steward. He's currently helping restore a pollinator garden at Old Economy Village, serves as a community garden steward in Moon Township for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and is President of the Big Sewickley Creek Watershed Association.

As HAP Hive Project Coordinator, Lew has been instrumental in supporting our habitat regeneration work and helping pollinators, wildlife, and communities thrive. A vegan for the past 2.5 years, he is dedicated to creating a more compassionate and sustainable world for all.

Thank you, Lew, for sharing your time, expertise, and enthusiasm with Humane Action Pennsylvania. We are grateful to have you on the team! 💚

☕🐾 Sip with purpose and support animals across Pennsylvania!

We're excited to partner with Barista Blend Coffee to raise funds for HAP! Every purchase made through our special storefront helps support our work advancing protections for animals throughout the Commonwealth.

Even better? They created a custom HAP-branded coffee blend and mug just for our supporters! Whether you're a coffee enthusiast or tea lover, there's something for everyone.

🛍️ Shop here:
https://baristasblendcoffee.com/humaneactionpa

Every purchase helps us earn a percentage of sales, turning your morning cup into meaningful change for animals. 🐶🐱🐮🐴

Thank you for brewing compassion with us! 💙☕

🌱 Campaign Highlight: HAP Hive 🌱

Through HAP Hive, Humane Action Pennsylvania is transforming underutilized spaces into thriving habitats for pollinators, wildlife, and people.

From our award-winning Swissvale Community Pollinator Garden to community gardens in Garfield, Homewood, Sharpsburg, and beyond, HAP Hive brings together residents, students, businesses, and elected officials to create greener, healthier neighborhoods. Along the way, we've planted hundreds of native plants, installed pollinator-friendly features like bee hotels, provided hands-on environmental education, and inspired communities to see conservation as something everyone can be part of.

What began as a single garden has grown into a regional habitat regeneration initiative, with six community pollinator gardens completed or underway and more in development. These projects demonstrate that small local actions can create lasting environmental impact for pollinators, wildlife, and the communities that share these spaces.

Interested in helping grow HAP Hive? Businesses, foundations, and community groups can sponsor a future pollinator garden and help bring habitat restoration to their neighborhood. To learn more about sponsoring a garden, volunteering, or partnering with HAP Hive, contact Shannon Dickerson at [email protected].

Together, we're building a future where people and wildlife can thrive side by side. 🐝🌼🦋

Our Board of Directors recently gathered in person for our quarterly meeting, and we're feeling energized about what's ahead!

From expanding our education programs and advancing animal protection policy to growing our impact across Pennsylvania, we're planning some exciting initiatives that we can't wait to share with you in the months ahead.

We're incredibly grateful for the dedicated leaders who volunteer their time, expertise, and passion to help guide Humane Action Pennsylvania's work. Their commitment helps ensure that we can continue creating meaningful change for animals, people, and communities throughout the Commonwealth.

Stay tuned—there's a lot more to come! 🐾💙

Yesterday, Humane Action Pennsylvania’s Director of Operations, Shannon Dickerson, addressed Pittsburgh City Council regarding the city’s deer management program.

For years, residents have been told that the now-annual deer cull is necessary to reduce and manage the local deer population. Yet despite years of implementation and significant public investment, we have seen no publicly available evidence that the program is achieving that goal.

Humane Action Pennsylvania is asking a simple question: Where is the data?

If the purpose of the program is population management, the public deserves access to clear, measurable outcomes that show whether deer numbers are declining, stabilizing, or otherwise affected. Success should be evaluated based on the stated objective of the program—not simply the number of deer removed or pounds of venison donated.

Good public policy should be guided by transparency, accountability, and evidence. We look forward to seeing the data and continuing this important conversation.