I am an animal lover and activist from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Since I was little I've been wanting to help animals; whether it was comforting the birds that so commonly hit our windows, or volunteering at the animal shelter.
After high school I had no idea how I was going to help animals as a career, so I entered the Environmental Science program at the University of Manitoba in hopes of finding a way to help wildlife. During my first semester I stayed in Residence, and spent a lot of time in the cafeteria. On a daily basis they served a huge roast that always disgusted me, and I started to think about the animals I was eating. It dawned on me that I had no idea how an animal actually ends up at the dinner table, so I wanted to do some research to make sure animals were killed in a humane way. I stumbled upon PETA's video which I watched in horror - as I saw animals screaming in pain as they were being dismembered - still alive - at the slaughterhouse. I became a vegetarian while watching that video.
In my Biology class we had a rat dissection lab which I was not happy about - but decided to watch instead of take part in the dissection. I had three mice as a kid and I loved them dearly - so when our pre-lab video started playing - showing the cutest little rat being cut in half I was filled with sadness and anger. I stormed out of the lab. There was an alternative assignment using photographs of an already dissected rat, but I coudln't even look at that. The lab was a big part of the final exam, but I didn't care - using animals was wrong.
I went to PETA's website to learn more about cruelty to animals and learned the truth about animals used for food, clothing, experimentation, entertainment, the pet-trade, and cruelty to wildlife. I watched the most horrible things being done to animals and decided to make it my life's work to stopping cruelty to animals; so I put University on hold to volunteer in India in an Animal Rescue Program.
I worked at an animal shelter, and also visited an elephant workstation, and the abysmal zoo to check the conditions. I handed out poems (written in Hindi) to the elephant handlers that were written as though the elephant was saying "Please treat me gently, please don't beat me with the bullhook". India was very depressing whether it was the animals suffering in the shelter (as injured animals are not euthanized but are left to die on their own), the poor children who looked sicker than a World Vision commerical, or the state of environment.
After India, I interned at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in Norfolk, Virginia. My internship was an amazing experience. I toured with PETA in demonstrations across the US and Canada, raising awareness about chickens killed for food and seals killed during Canada's commercial seal slaughter. I realized that this is what I needed to do to help animals. I wish that someone had handed me a leaflet, showed me a video, or told me about cruelty to animals when I was younger. People have big hearts, and I think they deserve to know what I've found out - each and every person can make a difference in the world.
After interning with PETA, I was asked to spearhead PETA's campaign to end Canada's commercial seal slaughter. I left my family and friends on June 1, 2009, and moved to Ottawa to follow Prime Minister Stephen Harper everywhere he goes wearing a baby seal costume and the sign "Harper: Stop the Seal Slaughter". I'll be following him until the slaughter stops.
Read my blog to find out what I've been doing since!
