Temple Grandin at Animal Friends September 6, 2012
Animal Friends Hosts Temple Grandin, September 6, 2012 (NEW DATE!)
On Thursday, September 6 at 7:30 pm, Animal Friends will host an evening with Temple Grandin.
Dr. Temple Grandin goes by many titles: doctor, professor, educator, researcher, author. But perhaps her most important title is animal advocate.
On September 6, Animal Friends and Huntington Bank will bring Temple Grandin to the August Wilson Center, downtown, to speak about her work in the animal welfare field and the connection between people and their animals.
Grandin, who was diagnosed with autism at a young age, is a well-known autism and animal advocate. Grandin’s career and research into autism and animal welfare spans decades. Using her research, Grandin has pushed for and achieved better conditions for livestock and other barn yard animals. Her autism also grants her a special insight into how animals react and interact with the world around them.
Grandin has written numerous books on how we as humans can better the world our animals live in. In 2010, HBO premiered a movie detailing Grandin’s life and work in the livestock industry. The film won numerous awards.
“I saw her speak for the first time at a Humane Society of the United States conference back in 2001 and I knew then she was someone special,” Joanne Moore, Animal Friends’ Director of Outreach and Therapeutic Programming, said. “Her research—how she had dedicated her life and career to work for better conditions for animals—all of it is just amazing.”
An Evening with Temple Grandin will focus mainly on Grandin’s work in the animal welfare field and her book, Animals Make Us Human. Knowing what causes animals physical pain is usually easy, but pinpointing emotional distress is much harder. Drawing on her own experience with autism, Grandin has identified and explored the emotional needs of animals. This insight has led her to push for humane advances in livestock facilities. While her work with slaughterhouses and the livestock industry is not without some controversy, Moore thought it important to share the core of Grandin’s message.
“We need to think about the needs of our animals. We as a community need to hear and spread the message that animals are not things. They are living beings that command respect and dignity,” Moore said.
Tickets are available through www.ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org or by calling 412.847.7000. There are 3 different ticket packages available, one of which offers a special reception with Dr. Grandin.
The August Wilson Center is located at 980 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
