Why Go Vegan?

As a vegan, the most frequently asked question I receive is “Why vegan?” In response, I say because I love animals, but there is so much more to it.  Data and studies show the reasoning towards going vegan and you can find various interesting facts here or here ( or dozens of other sites that you can find through Google). Although, the purpose of my writing is not to spew out facts on the benefits of veganism on the environment, the animals, and our health because there are already great resources like the ones above to which we all have access. Instead, I want to tell you why becoming vegan felt like the most compassionate lifestyle change.

Since I could remember, I have always enjoyed the presence of animals. There has almost always been a loving dog that I could snuggle and play with at home, and when there was not, my house felt emptier. When Stella, my first dog, sadly passed away, her personality, her snuggles, and even her obnoxious barking was missed by my whole family. She was a unique, beautiful animal, and when she was gone, it truly felt that a member of our household had gone. The death of Stella left my fourth grade self heartbroken, and I could not deal with the idea that my pet was dead.

If you have a pet at home and maybe even experienced your pet suffer, you may be familiar with these feelings of love, compassion, and heartbreak for a furry animal. At the same time we appreciate our pets for their love, their unmatched personalities, and their comfort for our bad days, there are animals being subjected to torture and abuse for someone’s appetite.

I could not understand how our love for cats and dogs did not translate to love for intelligent, loving creatures like the millions of cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and sheep that we slaughter in the US. It seemed unfair to eat meat or even consume products like milk that cause so much pain when I regarded my dog as a family member. From a cow, to a chicken, to a dog, each animal will have a unique personality:sassy, shy, bossy, quirky, or even a little feisty. Yet, we only consider the dog’s personality.  In the US, most people would never dare to eat a dog and many meat eaters even protest the end of the Yulin Dog Festival in China, where around 10,000 -15,000 dogs are slaughtered. However, the US consumes 46 million turkeys annually for Thanksgiving alone and meat eaters including those who protest the slaughter of a dog supports the death of a turkey. Just as the slaughter of dogs is found unethical to many Americans, shouldn’t the slaughter of other animals be inhumane too?

The sorrow I felt for the loss of my dog indicated that my diet should not cause the same suffering that left me weeping for the death of Stella. My view shifted from valuing my pet’s life more than a farm animal to understanding that Stella’s life was equally as important as the cow and chicken who were getting brutally abused for the milk in my cup and the eggs on my plate.

-Angie