When you think “animal rights advocate” you picture someone with a “friends not food” t-shirt on it, with a cartoon cow and pig smiling up at you. They are probably vegan. They have probably watched every documentary about where our food REALLY comes from.

I used to be an “animals are cute but I don’t see the big fuss about them, I mean it’s just a dog” person.

(And that statement right there probably lost me half the people reading this.)

I don’t feel that way anymore. I think animals are very much worth fussing about, especially my cat Jack. But, that is not the most impactful change of heart that I have experienced. I have learned just how much animals really are their own living beings. That might sound silly at first because no one is actually denying that animals are in fact living but, are they living like we, as humans, are? Are they living with their own personality? Their own thoughts?

Let’s talk science: Science shows that animals can very much have their own thoughts and feelings. It shows that they can teach others, learn language, and have familial relationships just like you or me. When I was doing some research of my own I read Animal Wise: How We Know Animals Think and Feel by Virginia Morell. It was fascinating reading about the many experiments that she witnessed conducted by countless scientists who dedicated their lives to learning more about the animal mind. One that stuck out to me was Alex, the parrot, who was able to learn about 150 words. He was able to categorize these words, recognize shapes and colors, and count. He was also known to say "I love you" to his scientist companion, Dr. Pepperberg. This shows a level of intelligence that many don’t think animals are capable of. The problem that perpetuates this way of thinking are the strict restrictions on the sort of language that can be used to describe an animal’s perceived mental state or actions. These scientists have to be very careful not to assign “human emotion” or imply that they have cognitive thinking in order for their work to be considered valid. Even Jane Goodall herself went through a time when her reputation was questioned as a scientist because of the language she used towards the chimpanzees. These restrictions imply that emotion is exclusively for humans. If it is suggested that animals can be actively thinking it invalidates the scientist, claiming that they are being unscientific in the worst way. But here’s the thing: that is what the scientists are trying to disprove. They work with these animals on a daily basis for years and know their behaviors and their learning capabilities. It is time to change the language when describing animals.

Let’s talk everyday life: My cat Jack has the biggest personality in the world. Without words, he is able to tell me when he is angry, frustrated, playful, or happy. He actively tries to communicate with me, letting me know daily that he thinks it’s unfair that I get to eat the toaster strudel and he doesn’t. But, I believe this isn’t exclusive to Jack. Pet owners often know their pets like the back of their hands, IF they pay active attention to them.

And there’s the catch.

I truly believe that it is those who don’t spend time with animals that are unable to see the intelligence and personality that they have. I say that because as I said, I was one of them. It took me getting my cat Jack to really see the “human like” characteristics in him. Now, can he hold a job? No. Can he cook food? No. But, when you describe your closest friends those kinds of things aren’t usually the things you comment on to describe what makes them special. You don’t say “Well, Mary has a job and so that’s pretty cool,” you say, “Mary has lots of energy and loves to be around people.” You would call them loving, or friendly. These are all things that can be recognized in your pets as well.

This is what I believe animal advocacy boils down to. I believe it is being able to recognize that we should extend protections toward animals, especially in the food industry, since we know that they aren’t just robots sitting in their own filth; they are living beings. It is being able to recognize that when you mistreat or abandon an animal, this has a direct impact on their well-being. It is being able to understand the importance of neutering and spaying your pets, so that we can control the number of animals in the shelters that, if they are a no kill shelter, may never get a loving home, or if they are a kill shelter may have their life taken from them for no fault of their own.

If you want to pull out your “friends not food” t-shirt and become a vegan, then that’s awesome. But, if you don’t then that’s awesome too. I don’t believe people who advocate for animals should all be put in a box. I believe that you are an animal advocate when you recognize that animals have a right to a happy and safe life, just like us.