Not All Heroes Wear Capes: Everyday Animal Advocates Making A Difference:

© Dare2Compete.

I used to think that being an animal advocate meant that I had to “be someone”, be a big name, a big voice, a Dr Jane Goodall, a Professor Steven Wise, that someone like me couldn’t make a difference. I also thought that the issues surrounding animals were just too catastrophically “big” for me to even begin to comprehend and try to help tackle them. Carrie Underwood summed it up perfectly in her song “Change”: “The world's so big it can break your heart and you just want to help but not sure where to start” and it is true, the more you learn about animal suffering, the more you feel compelled to act, but, sometimes not knowing where to start can be the scariest, most intimidating part and can easily stop people from starting at all. However, what I have learnt over the past few years as an animal law blogger is that anyone can be an advocate for animals and that one voice coupled with many other voices makes a very loud roar that creates change and that everyone, no matter who they are, has to start somewhere; heroes aren’t born, they’re made over time.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of making an entirely different group of friends. Why are they different I hear you asking… Well, because they are all animal advocates in one form or another and they are all making the world a better place for animals each and every day. They are the perfect examples of the fact that anyone is capable of being an ally for animals, in big and/or small ways.

So, I proudly and gratefully introduce you to some of my exceptionally humble friends, who in my eyes are all animal heroines. I hope you enjoy reading glimpses into their animal loving lives and take comfort in knowing that anyone, big or small, loud or quiet, confident or shy, from anywhere in the world can be a voice for animals.

Alice O:

I'm Alice, a freelance writer on animal ethics, law and welfare science. As well as writing for the likes of Sentient Media, The Pack dog food and my own blog www.aliceanimalwelfare.com, I’m co-author of ‘The Clean Pet Food Revolution: How Better Pet Food Will Change The World‘, a book aimed at dog and cat owners interested in feeding alternative proteins to their pets. Day to day, I work in academic publishing, commissioning Life Science and Veterinary books at Taylor & Francis, for researchers, professionals and students. I recently graduated from the University of Winchester's MSc in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law where I conducted extensive research into pet owner attitudes to feeding plant-based food and cultivated meat to dogs and cats. In my spare time I love running, and in 2019 I ran the Brighton Marathon to raise money for Compassion in World Farming. I also spent time in Florida that year, volunteering at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary. The sanctuary help monkeys who've been rescued from research labs as well as abandoned or abused as pets, and you can read more about their amazing work on my blog at https://www.aliceanimalwelfare.com/two-weeks-volunteering-at-jungle-friends-primate-sanctuary/!

Konnie:

My name is Konnie. I went vegetarian 5 years ago and then vegan 3 years later after watching Cowspiracy- cliché I know! At about the same time I decided to pursue a legal career and I realised I could merge my passion and law to advocate on behalf of animals. Fast forward to now, a few years later, and I will begin my training contract as a trainee solicitor this September.

After finishing my legal studies last year, I have really immersed myself into the animal law world and as a result have met some wonderful and inspiring people on the way. This has led to the animal-enthusiast group we have recently formed. From this our book club has sprouted and we are currently reading Carol J. Adams’ eye-opening book, “Neither Man nor Beast”.

In my spare time I volunteer at Knights Mead animal sanctuary in Lulworth on the sunny south coast of Dorset, where I care for rescued farm animals including chickens, ducks, sheep and pigs. I also volunteer for A-Law, a charity promoting an interest in animal law. At home I spend time with my wonderful companion animal, Lola. Lola is a rescue plant-based rottweiler and I adopted her 2 years ago from our local rescue centre.

Hopefully during my lifetime, I will be witness to real and tangible change for the animals we share our planet with. But, in order for that to happen, I know many of us will have our life’s work cut out. Until then I hope to wake up every day and take one step closer to turning this dream into a reality.

Luiza:

I have strong connections with animals as far back as I can remember. In my home country, it is common to witness stray animals roaming the streets and as a young child, I believed offering them some attention in the form of strokes and nice words would make them feel worthy. It was all that I could offer, as my financial situation was always poor, but it was love, nonetheless. As I grew up, I learned that animals were suffering everywhere, not only on the streets, and I made the decision to turn vegetarian. That was, and incredibly still is, a huge thing where I come from, where most people regularly eat meat. During my college years, I would print papers about anything related to animal exploitation, as my course had no module on animal rights and even less on animal law. As such, I started to study it on the side making it the main focus of my thesis. It was the first thesis on this subject ever in my college and was very well received. After spending several years in Ireland volunteering in animal sanctuaries and turning vegan, I went back to academia, where I completed a MSc in Animal Welfare, Science and Ethics. While studying, I started a small TNR programme in the countryside of Ireland, where I met, neutered, fostered, and rehomed several amazing cats. It is not an easy task and any losses along the way have been heart-breaking, but I still believe that anyone can offer some comfort to these animals. Volunteering in animal sanctuaries for farmed animals is a major part of my life, even though it has been increasing difficult throughout the pandemic. I hope my story can show that no matter who or where you come from, you can improve the lives of others and that it is worth standing up to injustice.

Rachel:

My involvement with animal advocacy really started after I went vegan in 2017. This began with decisions about what was on my plate but very quickly, I felt part of a bigger movement concerning animal rights. I started to attend protests like the Official Animal Rights March run by Surge and I joined demonstrations as part of the Action Team at PETA. I also created an Instagram account called @thenotsorryvegan which introduced me to an incredible online community and consequently lead me to take part in digital activism such as signing petitions as part of the Fast Action Network for The Humane League.

Most recently I have started to volunteer with the UK Centre for Animal Law contributing articles to their blog. I am also excited to have joined Humane Being who recently launched the world’s first legal challenge against a government to scrap factory farming. In September I plan to start studying Law in the hope to contribute to the legislative protection of animals and the environment in the future. Closer to home though, I am a fosterer for London Inner City Kitties (LICK), looking after cats until they find a forever home.

Iona:

I work in conservation as the coordinator of Ape Alliance to bring together organisations and individuals with the aim of improving ape conservation and welfare globally. We are involved with all sorts of issues, recently we've worked with our allies on the issue of primates as pets in the UK and we are running a campaign about apes on social media (check it out on our Instagram page!). We also do school workshops to help teach children about the issues affecting apes.

Its not all just about apes: I volunteer at my local wildlife rescue in the UK to help look after animals like hedgehogs, foxes and garden birds until they're strong enough to be released again.

I also love wildlife photography and use this interest to help people fall in love with and learn about their local wildlife.

Claire:

I'm just a girl who well and truly woke up when I turned 30, and left the corporate world behind to follow my heart into conservation and animal protection! I've always felt a strong connection to animals and currently share my home with two sweet little bunnies. But a visit to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent on my birthday that year completely changed my world. Despite previously being skeptical of zoo environments, I instead fell head over heels in love with this special place; the ethos, how cared for the animals are, their undivided commitment to welfare and conservation, and soon found myself regularly driving a 200-mile round-trip to volunteer on their maintenance team, helping to build suitable habitats and enrichment structures and maintain this safe place so many gorgeous cats call home. Over time, I felt my bond to the incredible souls living at the sanctuary grow, and I didn't know how I was going to achieve it, but I simply knew that I had to follow my passion for conservation and welfare. I quit my job of 9 years, started working for an environmental ecohub (Planetary International) and set about finding ways to learn, grow and progress on my pathway, including taking part in numerous online programmes, writing a blog piece for Advocates for Animals, and joining A-Law. Just two weeks ago I found out I'd by some miracle secured a place at Winchester Uni to study MSc Animal Welfare Science, Ethics & Law! Even though returning to Uni and changing career path at 32 is a scary thought, I'm absolutely over the moon, and can't wait to see how I can combine my future knowledge in welfare with my passion for conservation to hopefully benefit lots of animal lives!

Vivian S:

My name is Vivian and I am currently a Master's student at the University of Porto, studying History, International Relations, and Cooperation. Since this past September, I have been working on my dissertation: "The Plight of Animals: An Overlooked Branch of Critical Theory? Its Relevance as Shown in Portugal and PAN." I defend that the suffering of animals ought to be considered a branch of critical theory, thus encouraging a more just and emancipated world for all. I am so happy I decided to incorporate my passion for animals with my studies. I hope that it will help me eventually pursue a career in animal protection. I am vegan and my biggest inspirations are my two dogs, Jimi and Hendrix!

Marine:

I am French lawyer originally trained in International and European Law, and specialised in Human Rights Law, Warfare Law and Transitional Justice. During an experience in Israel and the Palestinian Territories in researching and implementing transitional justice mechanisms, my attention was drawn during a discussion to my indifference and inaction regarding the plight of animals. This question "what about the animals?" resounded and pushed me to watch the documentary Earthlings, which completely challenged my culture and habits, especially in terms of food and clothing: there was no turning back after this awakening. I headed for a Master's degree in Animal Law & Society at the Autonomous University of Barcelona to complete my training, with the ambition of advocating, researching and implementing animal rights in addition to human rights, interdependent in my eyes. After obtaining this Master's degree, I carried out various internships in NGOs and then started my PhD at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, with the aim of improving the welfare of racehorses and their protection at the end of their career, from the perspective of labour law for animals in the hope of guaranteeing them a retirement. I actively research and advocate for the de-commodification of animals and the recognition of their legal status as non-human persons with rights to empower them in the human-animal society. I further these efforts as an expert with the Global Animal Law (GAL) Association, and most importantly as a volunteer Junior Fellow of the Global Research Network's Think Tank on Animals & Biodiversity. Together with a remarkable team, I regularly organise events on key issues such as legal personhood for animals or animal labour, in partnership with other Junior Fellows who, like me, give their time in addition to their research and teaching activities. I regularly participates in scientific conferences to draw attention to the inconsistency of our legal treatment of animals and to propose concrete solutions. I am also a committed feminist who fights and denounces all forms of discrimination, promoting an intersectional approach and supporting activists and workers for social justice and equality for all. My passion for animals is shared by my family, who have always supported my requests to rescue and shelter many cats, dogs and chickens since childhood. I hope in the long run to be able to rescue and re-home many horses and farm animals from slaughterhouses, as well as laboratory animals to give them a second chance at life, while waiting for the society to change its perspective on the other animals and their right to live.

Tiffany:

Hi, I’m Tiffany, NCA candidate and an aspiring Animal Law lawyer. I was always passionate about animals and their capabilities to experience life; both joy and pain. I believe Jane Goodall got it right when she said, ‘you cannot share your life with a dog, and not know perfectly well that ANIMALS have personalities, minds and feelings.’

I was an avid advocate for ‘Dad, put the fish back into the water’ as a child when my dad would try and take my sister [also a vegan] and I on fishing trips, eventually he accepted his efforts were fruitless and now obliges to eating plant based whenever we are home and always thoroughly enjoys it.

It wasn’t until watching a video of a rabbit being skinned in 2014 that I became vegetarian and soon later vegan. I have wanted to be a lawyer since I was young but I never considered merging these passions. In fact my law school acceptance brought anxiety; going vegan changed my career aspirations and my entire outlook on life, I wanted to become a dietitian and educate people about their food choices, how it impacts not only the animals who suffer immensely, but also the planet and our own bodies. Fast forward to 2016, I left Canada to start my legal studies in England yet I still wasn’t convinced that I could be an ally for animals or that law was even still my passion.

However, in 2017 after learning about the amazing work of Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Justice and the UK Centre for Animal Law, and meeting inspiring animal champions, I knew I had found both my niche and my people! I founded an ALDF Student Chapter at Leicester University Law School, as well as a board member position, Animal Rights Director, which I took up, on Leicester University Law Society. The role was a pivotal part of my Animal Law journey.

I am incredibly passionate about Romanian strays and have written on this topic as well as visited to help a local rescue. The system is incredibly corrupt and sadly at the expense of these poor strays. When I am not force loving my Romanian rescue cat, Mr Binx, I’m taking the opportunity to educate on their plight and advocate for #adoptdon’tshop!

Currently, whilst studying for my exams, I am the Legal Support Officer with the UK Centre for Animal Law, I get to help students find and bring their passion for Animal Law to life! On occasion I still write on various animal related legal topics and on the side, I am starting my own business, which will be animal, human and environmentally friendly centric!

One piece of advice I give to everyone who I encounter in this field who ask if they will be able to make a living or find work; if it doesn’t exist, create it.

Alice P:

Growing up surrounded by more rescue pets than I can count, animals have been my guiding light for as long as I can remember. My dad used to run a pet shop in Mestre, Venice, which meant he was the first person people would turn to when they found an animal in need. As you would expect, most of these animals ended up staying with us: dogs, cats, geese, parrots, chickens, fish, turtles, hamsters, mice, shrimps and even a family of stick insects. Here’s the thing about animals: once you know them, once you see how smart they are, how different their personalities can be… you can’t unsee it. Which also means you can’t eat them. You can’t live in a society that systematically abuses them and not do anything about it. Once you know animals the way I like to think I do, your life, diet and career path can only look a certain way.

So I grew up thinking I’d become a vet, like every other kid who’s watched Doctor Dolittle a few too many times. Until I was old enough to imagine a career that could benefit animals from a different perspective, the legal one.

I studied law at the University of Padua for five years, spending my exchange semester at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and completing an internship in Madgeburg, Germany. After graduating in December 2019, I was lucky enough to be selected for an internship at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, in Vienna, where I had the opportunity to learn more about the tragedy of illicit wildlife trafficking and its dire consequences. Today, I work for the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, supporting its proposals to amend international law and finally put an end to the suffering of millions of wild animal species. For the last three years, I’ve also run an Instagram blog (@ecoer.blog), which I use to spread awareness on topics such as animal welfare, sustainability, climate change and wildlife crime.

My career is very much still a work in progress, but I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given and look forward to continuing using my voice, passion and energy to protect our planet and the animals we share it with.

Siobhan:

I am currently studying for my Masters in Law after completing an undergraduate degree in Geography. Throughout my Geography degree I engaged in modules that discussed the relationship between humans and animals and studied topics such as the link between gender roles and meat consumption. Having been vegan for around five years, I wrote my dissertation on the everyday experiences of vegans. I explored the emotional impacts of navigating a society in which animal exploitation is widely accepted. I am a keen activist, having been involved with campaigning for a Green New Deal at the University of Southampton. I decided to pursue a career in law after being inspired by the webinar series run by A-Law last year and have since become a student ambassador for them. I am also a co-founder of Young Animal Lawyers, a new upcoming network for young professionals or students who wish to engage with the animal law sector.

Carly: I am a professional animal advocate and campaigner with almost a decade's experience working and studying in animal welfare-related fields both in the UK and internationally. I hold an MSc in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law from Winchester University where my research focused on welfare issues in fur production and public attitudes to fur use. I also have a BA in Mass Communication (Public Relations and Journalism) from Curtin University, Western Australia.

I currently work for FOUR PAWS International campaigning on companion animal welfare issues including the illegal puppy trade and the dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia. 

I live with my rescue Greyhound, Finn, in Berkshire, England. In my spare time, I am working on an animal protection and vegan lifestyle blog that I hope will help highlight pressing animal protection issues.

Conclusion: The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones that do:

So, if you’re reading this thinking you would like to become a voice for animals, please know that it is possible, you just have to take the first steps. If you’re reading this just thinking you want to make any kind of positive change in the world, you can, you just have to start. You, coupled with every individual just like you, must believe that they can change the world, otherwise who will push forwards for change?

P.S: Thank you to the very kind and very humble friends who each spent time writing their bios, each who wondered if their words were good enough, worthy enough… You’re all amazing, you’re all animal heroines, you all wrote something beautiful. Thank you for finding me and thank you for the friendships we’re building together, together we will make this world a better place for animals. x