This article explores the cultural roots of our belief in our own superiority and how it manifests in popular culture, as well as pointing to how might challenge it. In READ ON
The Human Superiority Complex or Conflict?
The Night We Stopped the Slaughter
On the evening of December 14th while most of the city was fast asleep, 30 activists with Chicago Animal Save and Free from Harm, bore the cold and snow to READ ON
Sanctuaries Teach Us What Farms Can’t
Farmers continually claim that the rest of us should visit a farm to educate ourselves about animals. But my response to farmers is that they could stand to learn a READ ON
The Matrix as Metaphor for Animal Advocacy
The question I have grappled with for years now is: how can this conditioning work so well on so many of us for so long? This question is central to READ ON
Does Saying Humans Are Omnivores Justify Eating Animals?
A common objection to veganism is the statement, “Humans are omnivores.” Yet, being an omnivore neither requires us to eat animal products nor does it dismiss our moral obligation to READ ON
I Visited A Small, Organic Dairy Farm to See If Animals Were Treated Better
While passing a small dairy farm on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in the Point Reyes National Seashore in early October, I made an impromptu visit to a small, family-owned, pasture-based, READ ON
Is a Concern for Animals “First World”?
In the Q & A at one of my recent presentations, someone pointed out that they’ve heard a concern for animals criticized as “first world.” Aside from the obvious prejudice READ ON
The Blind Chick and Her Guardian Angel
A few weeks ago I learned about a blind chick in need of a new home. After a few email exchanges, I discovered that the chick’s caretaker lived only about READ ON
What’s the Point of Keeping a Hen Who Cannot Lay Eggs?
A few years ago, I adopted a hen about whom I knew very little except that a farmer did not want her anymore because she had stopped laying eggs. The READ ON
Galliano: Our Little Bantam Rooster Rescue
I brought home our rescue Galliano, and for the next four weeks, he was my closest companion, following me everywhere around the house, perching on my arm or shoulder while READ ON
Shooting the Messenger: Animal Advocates under Attack
If you care about animals and feel compelled to defend them, chances are you’ve come across knee-jerk accusations claiming you are “pushing your agenda,” forcing your ideas down their throat,” READ ON
Meat: The Meaning Behind the Word
Shortly after fostering two beautiful young ducks, a mated couple we named Ginger and Fred, I was on a bike ride running some errands and passed a barbecue restaurant with READ ON
Jay Quigley’s TED Talk on Overcoming Speciesism
Jay Quigley’s TED Talk provides a great primer on speciesism, a pervasive form of discrimination against animals that permeates all animal eating cultures, and shows how it fuels the socially READ ON
Ginger and Fred: Two Lucky Ducks!
In the first week of May, Red Door Animal Shelter notified us that they had rescued two Pekin ducks, a bonded couple, who were now in need of a permanent READ ON
The Fallen Nest
As I was biking home the other day, I found a beautiful nest in the road. The next car that drove by could have easily flattened it. All the amazing READ ON
Sam: The Rooster Who Tried to Cross the Road
On the afternoon of Saturday, January 17th, Nancy and her husband were busy doing errands and driving down a bustling four-lane Cicero Avenue in Chicago when Nancy spotted a chicken READ ON
Examining the Claim, Our Brains Evolved from Eating Animals
It could be argued that our brains have also evolved to become addicted to smoking, gambling, video games, alcohol, drugs, sex, violence, and harmful fast food. But we would think READ ON
Injured Chicken Found in Chicago Alley
The circumstances surrounding our latest rescue, an injured chicken we named Peter, remain largely a mystery. What we do know is that he was found all alone and motionless in READ ON
Chickens as Kaporos: A Story of Witnessing and Rescue
The following is my interview with Lori Barrett about her harrowing experience witnessing and documenting chickens used as kaporos in her New York City neighborhood. In the process, she managed READ ON
Dog Branding Shines Light on Bigger Picture of Animal Cruelty
The recent news story of a dog in Kentucky named Felicity, who was found tied to a post and branded with a profanity, sparked an outpouring of empathy as well READ ON
