Dear Editor,
The holidays are upon us, and for most people this season
conjures up images of friends family, and, of course, lots of food.
However, this time of the year reminds me of UCSD, where, as
a biology major studying animal behavior in 1997, I celebrated the holidays,
for the first time, with vegetarian feasts.
My decision to become a vegetarian stemmed from my
experiences working with bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees) during a special project
at UCSD.
I started seeing these intelligent and inquisitive animals
in a whole new light and began extending this new vision to other animals —
namely the animals I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was also at this
time that I discovered many of the hidden horrors of factory farms: Egg-laying
hens are crowded in tiny wire cages so restrictive that they can barely move,
let alone nest or spread their wings; mother pigs spend months at a time nearly
immobilized inside narrow metal crates; and turkeys are bred to grow large so
quickly that their skeletons often cannot keep up with their abnormal body
weight. Standard practices also include castrating male calves and pigs without
painkillers.
How could I, someone who was a self-proclaimed animal lover,
continue to eat some animals while working to protect others? The answer was
easy: I couldn’t.
After celebrating my 11th meat-free Thanksgiving this past
November I’m now creating another delicious animal-friendly holiday feast for
friends and family to enjoy. The options are endless: cashew nut roast with
herb stuffing or a “meaty” mushroom loaf with mashed potatoes, gravy and
traditional sides, that will satisfy everyone’s taste buds. Alternatively, I
can run to the neighborhood grocery store and pick up a meat-free Tofurky roast
with all the fixings.
I’m hardly alone — millions of Americans are sharing their
holiday spirit with the animals by celebrating with vegetarian foods. Make this
holiday season a compassionate one by visiting TryVeg.com for quick and easy recipes
that everyone can enjoy.
— Noelle Callahan
Outreach Assistant,
Compassion Over Killing
