My journey towards vegetarianism

began when I crossed paths with Steph, a woman at the farm who proudly identified as a vegetarian. Until then, I had never personally known a vegetarian, unless you count Lisa Simpson.

Steph’s vegetarianism bridged the gap between my love for horses and my evolving dietary choices. At that point, the concept of veganism was still foreign to me, and if I had come across it, I might have considered it excessively extreme.

As I outgrew my equine companions (literally, as I grew taller and taller), a sense of unease engulfed me as I bid farewell to each horse. Questions tormented me: Where would Guinness end up? Could I ensure his next owner would cherish and safeguard him as I did? What if he fell into the hands of mean individuals? Was any system in place to ensure his well-being?

This worry catalyzed my exploration into the legal protections afforded to animals, leading to the stark realization—animals are inadequately safeguarded from human exploitation and cruelty. Somewhere along this journey, my concern for horses prompted a reckoning with animal agriculture. I had assumed that the foods I continued to consume as a vegetarian —eggs, cheese, and milk—were innocuous, and that strict laws protected these animals from unnecessary harm. What if that wasn’t the case?

I was in my childhood bedroom when I decided to Google “Factory Farming.”

It was a term I had heard but didn’t yet understand. And I certainly did not know it was how 99% of farmed animals in North America lived and died. Most vegans can vividly recount the moment their perception of the world shifted upon learning about the realities of animal agriculture. Without intending to sound trite, it’s the day when your entire worldview changes.

I watched undercover footage from a hatchery, witnessing male chicks discarded and blended alive, deemed worthless by the egg industry. I became aware of the industry-standard conditions of a modern egg farm, where distressed hens were crammed into cages only slightly bigger than their own bodies.  I watched undercover footage of a dairy farm, where mothers were caralled by workers, forcibly, even violently, into the milking parlour, some falling or slipping on their way, which was met with even more human force and violence.

After hours of reading, I discovered that even under the banner of best practices, these industries employed methods that profoundly troubled me: artificial insemination, forced impregnation, the separation of newborn calves from their mothers and a life of exploitation. 

A calf, still wet from birth, at the veal crates on a dairy farm. Learn more about the dairy industry. Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media

That day, I promised myself never again that I would support these industries.

I reasoned that most of my friends and family would recoil when they too discovered what happens to farmed animals behind closed doors. Wait until everyone finds out, I thought!

Even knowing this, and eliminating all animal products from my diet, looking back, I wasn’t genuinely vegan. I still bought leather products, often didn’t check the labeling on my cosmetics, and continued supporting businesses that relied on animal exploitation.

After high school, I moved to Australia for one year to travel before university. I landed a job as a tour guide on horseback, taking tourists and honeymooners through the Daintree rainforest and Great Barrier Reef beaches on horseback. As you now know, I adored horses. Seemingly, it was an ideal job for an animal lover.

However, I soon realized that wherever animals and money intersect, there's ample room for abuse. Decisions prioritizing profit over the animals' well-being were commonplace. This role, which I eventually left, became my catalyst for embracing veganism in its purest form—an unwavering commitment to excluding animals from my diet, fashion, products, and entertainment.

My Mum and me admiring the field of rescued pigs at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York. 2023.