I have always had a passion for animals of all kind. Whether it's a squirrel (still trying to talk my mom into getting a pet squirrel) or a dog, I love them all! As I get older, this passion remains and actually has gotten a bit stronger. I find myself wanting to help animals, following sanctuaries, and visiting them as well.

One main thing that has changed is the that I don't feel comfortable eating animals anymore.

It all started when I visited an animal sanctuary here in Michigan called The Devoted Barn. The picture above is me interacting with a pig who was blind. Fun fact: Pigs are my favorite animal in the entire world. There were so many animals there with such terrible stories but they were so happy to be visited and loved. The people there were truly amazing and it changed the way that I view things, especially when it comes to animals.

At this point, I had not thought about not eating them or what my diet actually consisted of. I think sometimes when we consume large amounts of meat in our diets, we forget that it is a living thing that is no longer living because of our wants (not needs!), myself included.

Also it should be noted that when pigs are involved, I am a crier, regardless of the interaction. When visiting the sanctuary, I cried because I was so excited and happy. But when I drove past a truck full of pigs that was heading nowhere good, I cried. This was a major turning point in my life. I realized that I was contributing to what was making me sad.

A final change was when I pig sat. Yes, that's right. I watched someone's pet pigs. This was such an amazing experience for me in three ways. One, I got to pet pigs every day for a week and I got to experience what it would be like to have a pet pig. Pigs are truly such smart and talented animals. Rosco, (pictured below) knows how to sit, smile when told he's handsome, and many other things.

RoscoSwineanddandy.com

Two, the people that I helped out were vegetarians. So the food that I ate for dinner had no meat in it whatsoever. I was extremely surprised at how full I was, the taste being even better and what I was not missing at all! It was absolutely delicious. One night, I made a stir fry that had "chicken" in it. It had the same texture and taste as meat but it wasn't meat. It was all plant material.

Meatless Stir FryRachel Stoneburner

The people that I pig sat for also do a boarding service for other people's pigs. Similar to the sanctuary, it allows for pigs to be placed in homes that are safe for them. They also provide consultation on how to help pigs and on certain situations. Their website is called swineanddandy.com.

PigsSwineanddandy.com (Will Hagerty)

Now, I do not eat any red meat. This process has not been an easy one, considering I don't know what I am doing at all. I am slowly working on learning new recipes and finding new meatless brands that I can replace for my quick meals. I don't feel nearly as guilty when passing those trucks. The sadness is still there, but not the guilt. My goal is to completely cut out all forms of meat. I have enjoyed educating people and sharing my experience so far.

At some point, it just becomes difficult for me to continue to say I love something and then eat it. I would never think of eating my cats so why would I do that to anything else?

I have felt healthier and more awake and better fed than I ever have.

Linked below is a video that really has been helpful in my educating process and my motivation. I highly recommend watching it.

Looking at Eating Meat