Toronto Vegetarian Association/via
They
are pretty careful about who gets to put ads up in the Toronto subway
system, and animal rights activists usually don't make the cut. But
through September and October, subway riders have come face to face with
a powerful campaign to convince people that if they like cute kittens
and puppies, then they shouldn't be eating chickens and pigs. Kimberly
Caroll, an organizer of the campaign says:
Pigs, cows
and chickens are remarkable beings,” says campaign spokesperson Kimberly
Carroll. “Cows will walk for miles to reunite with a calf after being
sold at auction. Pigs have intelligence beyond that of a 3 year-old
human. Chickens mourn the loss of their loved ones. We hope that in
connecting with these animals and the grievous suffering that is behind
every burger, omelette, and hot dog, people will be motivated to make
more compassionate food choices.
I was surprised that the campaign got approved at all; Kimberly explained:
We
ran a similar campaign back in 2009 on the TTC at about a quarter of
the size of the current one. At that point the ad had to go through
various levels of approval while we waited on pins and needles, but it
was approved! This time around, it seems there were no concerns. We've
been very impressed with the TTC for this. We believe this is the first
animal rights campaign to run on the TTC.
Toronto Vegetarian Association/via
While
the puppy and pig comparison is probably not a stretch for most people,
the kitten and chicken one is probably a bit more difficult. But they
make a case that chickens are "inquisitive, affectionate and
personable."
British Vegetarian Society/via
It
is not a new message, that animals are animals and it is crazy to treat
one kind so differently from another; the British Vegetarian Society
did it decades ago. But it is new, seeing it in Toronto plastered all
over the subway, where the TTC says it will be seen by 5.7 million
people every week. Kimberly says that it is effective; she is getting
"several emails, posts, and twitters a day from folks saying they're
going veg after seeing the ads."
More at
Toronto Vegetarian Association
Courtesy of treehugger.com
