Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Dear Vegans


No, Elsa does not want to snuggle or pose for the camera.

As the operator of a chicken sanctuary, I often have to justify myself to the masses: No, it’s not a farm; no, I don’t sell the eggs; and no, she’s not an “it.”

These kinds of things are to be expected.

What has been less expected -- and indeed, heartbreaking -- is the constant need to justify myself to vegans.

Yes, I really did just spend thousands of dollars to save one bird’s life. No, she wasn’t a special pet who displayed a remarkable intelligence and affection for humans. She doesn’t like to dress up in human clothes or pose for photo ops on the couch. She doesn’t even like being touched, much less held.

But why does it matter? She is still an individual with a zeal for life and interests of her own that are every bit as worthwhile as those of a horse, pig, or dog.

“I know it’s being speciesist,” one vegan wrote. “But isn’t that a lot of money?”

Yes, it is a lot of money. Four nights of hospitalization plus four hours in surgery cost a fuckton of money for anyone of any species. Would you withdraw support from a horse sanctuary because it spent $2,500 on a surgery? Would you badmouth your sister for spending $2,500 to save her pet cat?

Or do you think that because her dead body sells for only $2 in the grocery store, the life of a chicken is worth less than that of a horse or cat?

Birds are incredibly complex and fragile, perhaps more so than any other animal. Domesticated chickens, with their generations of selective breeding to suit animal agriculture, have taken this fragility to a whole new level. Caring for them properly is a never-ending task that can only be accomplished with the support of the community – particularly, the vegan community that purports to love all animals equally.

Please don’t devalue them for not being snuggly or because they all look alike. Please don’t engage in the speciesism for which we criticize non-vegans.

Being an activist means appreciating others for who they are and realizing that, after all, it’s not all about us.

14 comments:

  1. Those who measure life in money are not vegan.

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  2. There are those who call themselves animal activists who measure everything in terms of numbers, and for this reason, animal rescue doesn't count as "effective" animal advocacy in their book. While animal activism does need to pay attention to numbers in order to be effective---and most of us understand the necessity of triaging our approach---it's not really veganism or even animal activism any more if the lives of individual animals don't matter enough to spend $ to give them proper veterinary care.

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  3. Vegans are the worst. Don't worry the vet bills for my dog's cancer treatment have cost more than $10,000 and some vegan friends have commented about how many more animal lives I could have saved with that money instead. You'd think vegans get it.. they don't.

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    1. No, your vegan friends are the worst. I would never question why you or anyone spent money saving their dog. I would do the exact same.

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  4. This certainly is not the sentiment of most vegans, so I don't appreciate being called the worst. Vegans care, at least most do. The hundreds I know care.
    It's your business what you choose to do with your money.

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    1. I totally agree. I would never judge someone for trying to save an animal's life period. I hate ignorant generalizations.

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  5. I think what may have happened is that some vegans are assuming that a person still consuming animal products, wondering why they would spend money on a chicken, when it's arbitrary. Why save a chickens life and eat another animal? That's the only reason I can think of why a few people would say this.

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  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  7. So well said. I love you for taking such great care of this precious one ��

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    1. Ignore the question marks at the end of my comment... They're hearts that didn't show up (heart)

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    2. Ignore the question marks at the end of my comment... They're hearts that didn't show up (heart)

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  8. One of my favorite foods is chicken, but I know exactly why you spent all that money on the chicken. She needed someone to care about her enough to choose life for her instead of misery and death. I believe when we are boasting to be higher life forms, that means that we know we have a responsibility to take care of animals, even if we plan on eating them or we just plan on letting them live and enjoying their company.

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