Happy Meat Free Monday

A year ago I visited Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary in Maryland, USA with my friends Kelsey and Stacey. We met some wonderful animals who had been rescued from becoming lunch.

Pigs are more intelligent than dogs. 

These beautiful animals are sentient and feeling. They deserve so much more than being killed as soon as they are large enough to be eaten. 

The cutie I am holding is named Harrison, too.

By pledging to go Meat-Free on Mondays, you can save animals like these! You can also win amazing prizes valued at R 40 000. If this is not enough, maybe the following information from Meat Free Monday will change your mind: 

• Reducing your daily intake of meat by 60% will help reduce excess weight and obesity. 
• Eating less meat will prevent heart disease, strokes, cancer, and diabetes. 
• If we were to save just 15% of the total water used to convert animals into meat at the abattoir, then 104000 households could be provided with all their water needs for one year.
• More than ½ the maize we grow goes to feed "food" animals while 1 child dies every 45 min from malnutrition. 
• Animal agriculture contributes to the destruction of tropical rainforests, soil erosion, dwindling reserves of fresh water, land, fuel and other resources.
• 250l of water is needed to produce 1kg wheat, 25 000l of water is required to produce 1kg meat.
• Protein derived from meat requires 25 times more energy to produce than comparable protein from vegetable sources.

"I held his face and looked into his eyes the way I do with my dog,  Marley." - Stacey

Try to go Meat Free just one day a week: Monday, perhaps? To make your Mondays easier, Fry's Vegetarian produces some amazing meat alternatives which are available at Pick 'n Pay and Checkers! You could also try the Steers Veggie Burger or the Kauai Veggie Wrap - both made with Fry's Vegetarian products. You could also try, you know, good old vegetables! 

This sweetie-pie didn't even get up when Kelsey and I came over to say 'hi'. 

Once you've got Mondays down, why not Go Vegetarian? Check out Vegetarianism in a Nutshell.