It’s an understatement to say that social
media is a powerful tool to raise awareness and build community. As an animal
rights activist, one of the best ways I’ve been able to keep in touch with
fellow vegans has been through Facebook. It’s also been invaluable in helping
me share petitions and getting documentary videos to go viral.
At work recently I heard my boss, Ari, exclaim,
“Oh, my God! He turned to me in shock. His friend R.J. had just shared on
Facebook horrifying images of slaughtered pigs being unloaded from trucks and
into a butcher shop. Mercy For Animals has conducted more than 60 undercover
investigations, so we’ve seen our share of sickening animal abuse footage, but
there was something about the mundane, business-as-usual aspect of R.J.’s
photos that left us shaken.
An amazing animal activist based in Canada, R.J.
works next to this butcher shop and sees their deliveries every week. We
reached out to ask him a couple of questions.
1. The
photos you shared are graphic. As an activist, how do you cope with seeing this
every week?
It’s traumatizing. It makes me think of all
the animals I’ve gotten to know through various sanctuaries and how so few animals
get the opportunity to live out their natural lives. It makes me appreciate so
much the advocacy groups and farmed animal sanctuaries that are making people aware
of the horrific cruelties animals face. It also saddens me to know this is
happening and that people can walk by without blinking an eye. If it were dogs
in these vehicles, people would be irate; but because these pigs have been
labeled food animals, their lives aren’t given the same value.
2. Does
this motivate you to continue speaking up for animals or does it discourage you?
At times I feel emotionally exhausted, but I
don’t allow it to keep me quiet. Seeing these beautiful animals manhandled like
sacks of potatoes without a doubt forces me to speak up and challenge people to
rethink their daily habits. We have to.
3. What
are some of the comments you hear when they unload the pigs from the truck?
Most people just walk by as if seeing a truckload
of dead pigs is a normal scene. Recently someone rode by on his bike and said
to the guys unloading the bodies, “I wish I had your job, I love handling
dead animals.” This to me is horrifying.
4. Why
did you go vegan?
About 15 years ago I was watching a news story
on the treatment of chickens in commercial farms. I was sick to my stomach. How
could you not be? I felt like such a hypocrite. My companion animals were my
life—my dogs, my cats, my rabbits—they meant everything to me. How could I continue
to support something that directly inflicted fear, stress, and pain on animals
when I wouldn’t do it to any of my own? The more I forced myself outside of my
comfort zone, the more I became aware of all the forms of abuse our animal
friends are subjected to, and going vegan just made sense.
5. If
you weren’t vegan before seeing these slaughtered pigs, do you think you’d be
vegan after?
I don’t understand how a person can continue
to eat animals after seeing images like this. I think if I were not vegan
before seeing this, I would hope at least that I would have taken time to
really think about where my food was coming from and to make the connection.
6.
What’s one thing you hope readers take away from this?
I hope that readers take a moment to think
about these animals and what their stories may have been leading up to these
photos. We should constantly question things and force ourselves to rethink our
“normal” by adopting a more compassionate lifestyle.
—
We all have the power to help stop the abuse
these gruesome images depict. By choosing to leave meat, dairy, and eggs off
our plates in favor of delicious vegan dishes, we can help create a more
compassionate world where animals are no longer ruthlessly butchered. Click here to
learn more about transitioning to a healthy and humane plant-based diet.