Back in the days prior to commencing a compassionate life, I never used to have problems going to the supermarket or shops, but these days there is a literal gauntlet of triggers that I need to side-step just to get to the vegetables; and even then I frequently need to live-censor certain parts of the shops and surrounds out of my sphere of consciousness just to be able to make it back to the checkout.

At this time of year, the morgue sections of the supermarkets spill out beyond their usual boundaries, with the surplus of freshly severed legs (from pigs as young as five and six months old) wrapped in plastic and placed on refrigerated shelves.

All traces of the individual that once was are stripped away and packaged at the ready, soon to be consumed by people who refuse to acknowledge that the body parts on which they will feast were taken from an innocent being via brutal and violent force – all to end up on a dinner plate, which hardly seems fair.

Usually I hold a hand up to shield my eyes if I have to pass through a corridor of dismembered body parts, but I find seeing these pig legs exceptionally triggering because I have met the pigs who once stood on those legs. I have heard the cries and seen tears in the eyes of these sweet and gentle animals mere moments before they are forced to endure the most horrific death imaginable; one which we audaciously label “humane”.

The last pig save vigil I attended was back in July, and it broke my heart when I heard the news that the December vigil was cancelled. It has been months since I have been able to give comfort to animals in person, although I have crossed paths with many animals being trucked to their gory deaths since then, which I will write about soon.

Every single animal that has been born just to be killed for human consumption has a mother – one that loves her babies very much, just as much as we love babies of our species.

People from around the world united in laughter when the baby panda sneezing video did the rounds and there is no better place to observe the unbreakable and instinctive maternal bond between mother and child than when watching non-human animals interact with their babies.

We watch nature documentaries with our families, looking on with joy and cheering when the mother rescues her stranded baby, or successfully evades a predator – it’s like we have forgotten that all animals have the same protective and loving instincts towards their babies, regardless of their species.

When a mother gives birth, all she wants to do is offer love, comfort and offer milk to her new-born, but it is a desire she will never be allowed to fulfil within the confines of animal agriculture.

Imagine the anguish of the new mother who is forced to watch on helplessly as someone picks up their infant to slice parts off them without any anaesthetic – listening to the screams of your baby and being powerless to intervene, all they can do is scream too.

Just because their cries are not in a human language, does not make them any less piercing to the heart when you take the time to listen.

Pigs are highly intelligent and, despite the contrary misconception, naturally clean animals whose intelligence level is ranked higher than dogs; but sadly, they are rarely afforded the same rights as that of their “domestic” counterparts – merely “live stock”, a life awaiting death, all for the consumer’s convenience and preference to consume “bacon” or “Christmas ham”.

How much more would these animals need to resemble dogs before you realise that they are exactly the same as our beloved companion animals?

Would you let someone eat your cat or dog? If the answer if no, then how can we justify taking the life of any animal when we know how much pain and suffering it causes them?

I want to see a world where we don’t exploit the vulnerable – regardless of their species – one in which we fuel our bodies with super-foods, not the corpses of animals who only ever knew fear, pain and torture before their violent deaths.

If the old saying carries any merit and “we are what we eat” truly, then how can we genuinely expect to thrive as individuals if we’re living on a diet of death and suffering?

The question remains, will you choose to eat compassionately these Holidays, or will you be choosing to separate and eat other families instead?

I hope you will choose with your heart and decide to keep animals and their families off the table this year.

The only thing we need from animals is their forgiveness.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season with your loved ones and may you act with love and compassion, always.

– Stace