From Animal-Loving Child to Meat-Loving Adult - Why Do We Lose Our Compassion?

I've always been an animal-lover. I was very young when I decided to become vegetarian, and loved to draw pictures of animals. I made anti-animal cruelty posters and stickers spouting slogans such as "Animals aren't hurting you, so why do you hurt them?"

I was aware of the mistreatment of animals from a young age. This was both good and bad for me. On one hand, I was able to recognise why it was bad to eat meat, but on the other hand, I was very confused about why most people ate it anyway. Many of my friends and their parents seemed to be animal lovers too. They all had dogs and cats and fish and birds, and they loved them, cuddled them, and treated them like family. They thought lambs and piglets and bunnies were adorable. So, I thought, if they loved animals so much, why did they chop their delicate bodies into little pieces, pick the pieces up with a fork and shove them into their mouths? It made no sense to me then, and still confuses me to this day.

"If we look at the children's entertainment industry, we can see just how prevalent animals are in their lives. The majority of characters in children's TV shows - especially those made for very young children (5 and under) - are anthropomorphic animals."

If we look at the children's entertainment industry, we can see just how prevalent animals are in their lives. The majority of characters in children's TV shows - especially those made for very young children (5 and under) - are anthropomorphic animals. Peppa Pig, Kipper, My Little Pony, Sesame Street, Looney Tunes, Spongebob Squarepants, Arthur and Franklin the Turtle come to mind. There are many film examples as well: The Lion King, Bambi, Chicken Run, Babe, The Aristocats, The Land Before Time, Shrek, Over the Hedge, Finding Nemo. . . the list goes on.  There are plenty of books out there too. The Berenstain Bears, Charlotte's Web and The Cat in the Hat are just three examples.

All of this just about proves it. Kids love animals! It seems, even, that they see animals as thinking, feeling creatures with unique personalities. The way they are portrayed in children's entertainment demonstrates this idea.

Most of us have fond memories of playing with our childhood pets; heading off on grand adventures, referring to them as our very best friends in the whole world. Many of us would have screamed, kicked and cried at the thought of our animal friends being harmed in any way.

When did she change from "friend" to "food"?

So where did it all go wrong? When did we decide that animals were objects for human use and consumption? When did we stop calling them our best friends?

"When did we decide that animals were objects for human use and consumption? When did we stop calling them our best friends?"

Most people, it seems, were influenced by the culture they grew up in. Their parents ate meat, their grandparents ate meat, their friends and extended family ate meat - so, they thought, it must be normal. To them, animal death may be sad, but it's just the way things are and, in their eyes, there's nothing they can do about it. Perhaps they see it as a "necessary evil." Meat-eating is such an enormous part of our culture - entire holidays seem to revolve around it (i.e. the traditional Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas ham).

And then there's the advertising. In my own country, where (to some) meat-eating is considered an imperative part of Australian culture, there are some very in-your-face advertisements encouraging the Australian population to eat more meat. If you don't eat it, they say, you're un-Australian. You're strange, unusual, not normal. Here's a particularly ridiculous example of one such advertisement:

For many people, it's difficult to stray from "traditional" family dinners of meat-and-three-veg. It's hard to stray from the strongly-ingrained ideas that meat, dairy and eggs are necessary parts of a healthy, balanced diet. Fortunately, however, it's not impossible. We just need to give these people a little bit of "veg-spiration"!

"For many people, it's difficult to stray from 'traditional' family dinners of meat-and-three-veg. It's difficult to stray from the strongly-ingrained ideas that meat, dairy and eggs are necessary parts of a healthy, balanced diet."

Some people, unfortunately, just don't care about animals at all. Eating meat is much more important to them than the lives of animals, and there's not much we can do about that. The majority of people, however, do care about animal suffering. They haven't necessarily lost their childhood compassion - they just haven't yet tried to break free of the idea that meat-eating is necessary for our survival. All these people need is a push or two in the right direction. Education is the best way to go about this - show people recipes, cook for them, help them learn just how healthy and fulfilling a vegan lifestyle can be. Make sure they're aware of the suffering animal products cause - help them remember how they felt about animals before they were lead to believe that meat is a necessity.

People are drawn to animals from an early age. For the most part, we love them, and they love us. Most people could never lay a violent hand on an animal. Most people could never slit a cow's throat or violently castrate a piglet, but this is exactly what many helpless animals must go through to end up on our dinner-plates. If we work together to act compassionately and free these innocent animals from their violent fates, the world will be a much better place for all of us. I guarantee it.

Should Vegans Keep Pets?

I've debated with non-vegans many times in recent years, and one of the stand-out comments to me is: If you're vegan and you have pets, you're a hypocrite. This argument is particularly popular in debates about the ethicality of zoos and similar institutions in which wild animals are kept captive (i.e. Seaworld). Apparently, according to the people who use this argument, keeping domesticated animals as pets (or companion animals, as some call them) is directly comparable to keeping wild animals in zoos - a practice opposed by many vegans.

"There's no better way to show compassion to someone than to offer them your unconditional love and care."

I've had companion animals in my life since I was an infant, and I have always considered them part of the family. I care for, love and cherish my pets as I would a child. I'm sure many other vegans will agree with this sentiment. Companion animals can bring joy and happiness to any family - but should vegans exclude themselves from this kind of relationship? Personally, I don't think they should. To put it succinctly - in our current society, there is nothing non-vegan about keeping domesticated companion animals.

Keeping wild animals captive in zoos is not comparable to keeping domestic animals at home. The reason for this is fairly obvious - domestic animals and wild animals are vastly different. The domestication of animals such as cats and dogs is a sad reality, but an unavoidable one. These previously wild and independent animals are, as a result of human interjection, now largely unable to care for themselves. Unlike wild animals such as lions and deer, almost all domestic animals remain in a consistently juvenile state. Domestic animals are almost completely reliant on their humans for food, water, shelter and medical care. Zoo animals, on the other hand, have not been domesticated. They are not designed to live under human care as domestic animals are. That's why the two situations are not comparable.

"Keeping wild animals captive in zoos is not comparable to keeping domestic animals at home. The reason for this is fairly obvious - domestic animals and wild animals are vastly different."

When left to fend for themselves, domestic animals typically have very limited lifespans. Homeless animals face starvation from food shortage, exhaustion, disease, severe weather conditions and abuse from passers-by. If not picked up and taken to a shelter by animal control (where the animal will likely be killed due to overcrowding), strays rarely live for more than five years. Under human care, they can live three times as long. Survival in the wild (or in suburban/city streets where most abandoned animals end up) is especially difficult for animals that once lived with humans.
Vegans don't buy animals from breeders or pet stores, they adopt them. To adopt an animal, particularly from a kill shelter, is to save a precious life. This is why keeping pets in your home cannot be considered abuse or exploitation. Adopting an abandoned animal into your home is one of the strongest ways to show true love and endearment. Purchasing animals from pet stores or breeders, on the other hand, is strongly discouraged within the vegan community. Many pet stores purchase their 'stock' from farms where animals are over-bred and treated poorly. Similarly, breeding is considered unethical because of the large number of homeless animals awaiting adoption. As they say: don't breed or buy while shelter animals die.

Pets and their humans can have amazing bonds

Most vegans consider their pets to be part of the family and  care for them as they would care for their own children. We do not exploit our companion animals, nor do we restrict them from living free and enjoyable lives. To adopt an animal is to give them a forever home where they will experience true warmth and love rather than the cold, concrete floors of suburban streets or animal shelters.

"Keeping pets in the home cannot be considered abuse or exploitation. Adopting an abandoned animal into your home is one of the strongest ways to show true love and endearment."

If you're a vegan with companion animals and somebody tries to guilt-trip you for your compassionate choice, remember these points. To reiterate - there is nothing non-vegan about providing a loving home for a helpless and dependent animal. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Veganism is all about showing compassion towards all life, and there's no better way to show compassion to someone than to offer them a lifetime of unconditional love and care.