I have a big heart for animals, have ever since I was a young child. Most every kind of animal makes me smile and they are so interesting to me to watch them in their natural environment.
A few years ago I made the connection to what I was eating. I was not aware that I was eating animals at most of my meals and that there was another way to eat and eat more healthfully. I began to research and talk about this subject with friends and family and found it to be a rather sensitive topic as the ethical issue is the elephant in the room because we have all been part of this activity.
There has been a disconnect within ourselves about what our food is. When you ask a child what the chicken is they are currently eating, they have no comprehension that it is the same animal as the cute little chicks they see in books.
It is always surprising to me when there is outrage that horse meat was found in the hamburger of such and such restaurant…what makes horse meat more outrageous than cow meat? What we see as food products in our country, another country sees it as a sacred animal or a pet. In other countries what we see as a pet another culture accepts as food. How did we get to a place that we can determine which animals are for food, which are pets, entertainment for zoos and circuses? All animals are living, feeling, emotional beings. I believe they should have some protection rights and to be able to live their own lives free from harm.
As our food industry has changed to meet the increasing demands of the American diet, animals have succumbed to the industry standards of mistreatment, violence and atrocities unimaginable. They are seen as a commodity, and compassion does not play a role. I encourage anyone to research this for themselves, watch the videos and read a few books on the subject. I would recommend Earthlings and Cowspiracy as a good education on the subject.
I became involved in local animal groups in my community to help organizations that primarily operate on a very low budget. It has been a large learning venture and I am loving that even the smallest effort is always rewarding when helping an animal find a loving home. I have two rescue kitties and one rescue dog that have been such a blessing to me.and the protection towards the other beings we share it with – all of the animals.
It is my hope that humans will learn to share this planet and live respectfully with animals.
For the love of animals,
Rhonda
