by Emma H.
I started life an animal activist. I was at one time an
active member of BEAK, an impassioned animal rights group, and genius acronym
of my and three of my primary school friend’s names. I was inspired by my
maternal grandparents who despite retirement were patrons and active supporters
of countless charities many of which focussed on animals. One year after a
two-day stint as a vegetarian - secretly broken by the mouth-watering aroma of
freshly cooked pork crackling - while asking my Ganga about donating to WWF,
she snapped, “you care so much about all the bloody animals, but what about the
people!?”. It was a big statement for my 9 year old self
to take in but it resonated deeply. I didn’t stop caring about animals but I definitely
refocused and stopped thinking about their welfare so intensely.
