If you’ve enjoyed our Supporter Spotlight posts, which are new this year and have been appearing monthly, you’ll be excited to know they’ll be appearing more often from now on!

We have so many supporters, all of whom have interesting stories about how they got involved with animal advocacy and Vegan Outreach! These posts let us take a moment to shine a spotlight on our members, whose hard work and generosity truly enable the work of VO.

This time we talk to David Sudarsky, Founder of The Vegetarian Site. For the rest of April, you can shop at The Vegetarian Site for vegan food, clothing, and more – and 10% of all sales will be donated to VO! Let’s get to know the generous guy behind this donation!

Tell us about yourself, David.

I’m a 44-year-old longtime vegan now residing in Connecticut (where I grew up) after many years living out west. In fact, I originally met VO’s Jack Norris in the mid-1990s in Tucson when I was a grad student at the University of Arizona.

I love to get outside, even if it’s just to fit in a short jog at the nearby park. And I’m a weight-training gym addict year-round. I’m close with my immediate family, most of whom are vegetarian or vegan – including the dogs. When I’m not running The Vegetarian Site, I enjoy dabbling in music and art, as well as other hobbies such as electronics and computers, as time allows.

How and when did you become vegan?

I’ve been vegetarian since I was a teenager, but I became vegan in the early 1990s (at age 23) once I fully realized that egg and dairy production are just as cruel – and often more so – than meat production. At that time, being a male vegetarian was rather unusual, and going vegan was deemed nutritionally misguided and unhealthy. Nonetheless, after learning more about nutrition, I was convinced that it should be possible – at least I’d give it a serious try.

I soon realized that I was doing quite well, feeling great both physically and psychologically. While the animal rights/welfare issue has always been the primary purpose for me, the environmental and health advantages of well-planned vegan living are also remarkable.

Why did you start The Vegetarian Site?

Before The Vegetarian Site, I wanted to spread the word regarding the vegan lifestyle. I produced a 24-page vegetarian guide to restaurants in Tucson, which I distributed through the independent natural food stores, book stores, and some restaurants and shops there. I had called up literally every restaurant in the greater Tucson area, and each one that offered at least one fully vegan entree appeared in the guide.

I started TheVegetarianSite.com in late 1999 as an informational website with sections on diet and health, ethics, and environment. It was a fully vegan website, but to make it more inviting to the general public, I chose to brand it as “vegetarian.” (Since that time, “vegan” has gone from a fringe label to one that is in common use today.) Within the first year, I decided that it was a good time to expand the website into a part-time business, selling a variety of vegan products. After a number of years, it became my full-time career.

And you always donate 10% of sales to non-profits.

Since the first month of business, we have been donating 10% of sales to non-profit vegan and animal rights organizations. Most of our customers want to further the vegan cause as much as I do, and many appreciate that a percentage of their dollars are going to the important organizations (such as VO) that are making it happen.

What is your favorite product currently for sale on TVS?

I use many of our vegan foods quite regularly, but I think my favorite product of all is the Vegetarian Shoes Hemp Spider XT Trail Shoe. It offers the best of all worlds: it’s vegan, very high quality, fair labor (made in Portugal), eco-friendly, and quite comfortable.

Shop now at The Vegetarian Site! Ten percent of all sales through April will be donated to Vegan Outreach.

Thank you, David!

By Toni Okamoto

Although I’m a firm believer that we should live our lives every day with Earth’s best interest in mind, I fully support the awareness Earth Day brings to the masses. It is a great opportunity to educate others about animal agriculture’s devastating impact on our environment, and positively share the alternatives that are better for not only our planet, but also for our bodies and the animals we share this world with.

In honor of Earth Day, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret is allowing people to download their documentary for only $1! If you haven’t seen this film yet, it is extremely powerful and thought-provoking, and I highly recommend it! In addition to being a well-done project, I credit them for inspiring a once hesitant loved one to adopt a fully plant based diet. It is that powerful.

Here’s the trailer. Check it out. http://www.cowspiracy.com/

By Lisa Rimmert, Donor Relations Manager

May is an exciting time for Vegan Outreach, and it’s right around the corner!

Every year in May (through June), dozens of Vegan Outreach supporters come together to raise money for VO by participating in a physical challenge like a 5K or triathlon, any other activity, or even none at all! It’s called Team Vegan, and its donations are matched dollar-for-dollar to double the impact for animals.

Past participants have trained for marathons, set a biking or swimming goal, planned a leaflet-a-thon, held bake sales, and so much more. Others have raised money without an activity, and that’s great too!

Your participation in Team Vegan is so important. The funds raised will fuel our Fall outreach – outreach that saw us breaking our semester record last year by handing out more than one million booklets in the Fall.

Team Vegan also presents a unique opportunity for you to reach out to family and friends who may not otherwise give to the vegan cause – or may not otherwise think about veganism at all! It’s a great gateway into thinking about and supporting vegan advocacy!

Learn more or get involved today. Contact me today at [email protected].

Fundraising begins May 1st and goes through June 30th.

Pictured above: Seth Tibbott, Founder and President of Tofurky; VO Supporters Steve Sprang and Lauren Farnsworth; and VO Supporter Brian Ottens and Daughter Emily

Eat out often? Let restaurants know that you appreciate their vegan options! For more information on how to order, visit: http://staging.veganoutreach.org/merchandise/

Thanks to Baltimore Vegan Drinks for this great idea!

By Lisa Rimmert, Donor Relations Manager

Animal suffering. The environment. Human health. Workers’ rights. World hunger. There are many reasons – and many benefits – to going vegan. But did you know these motivations can affect how long vegans stick with the diet?

A recent study, published in the journal Appetite and written about on Time.com, examined specific food choices and behaviors of people who are vegan either for health or ethical reasons – the two most often cited reasons for going vegan. The authors wanted to find out if these motivations affect how vegans live and what specific vegan foods they eat. It turns out, they do.

Vegans who made the switch because of health motivations reported eating more fruit and fewer sweets, whereas those who went vegan for ethical reasons reported more frequent consumption of soy, foods rich in Vitamin D, and vitamin supplements; and – here’s the really interesting one – being on the diet longer.

Other studies have found similar information. In another 2014 study, a majority of the former vegetarians sampled reported having become vegetarian due to health reasons. Only 27% of former vegetarians said they had become vegetarian because of a concern for animals. There’s evidence to support the claim that people who become vegetarian or vegan for ethical reasons stick with it longer.

Another, not necessarily contradictory, explanation for the findings in the Appetite study, is that ethical vegans become vegan sooner than health vegans. In other words, concern for animals prompts a change more quickly than does concern for health. It could be that the greater disgust with meat and more intense emotional reaction to meat consumption reported by ethical vegetarians, motivates a quicker transition to vegan eating. This would cause ethical vegans to report having been vegan for a longer amount of time than health vegans. If this is the case, then ethical motivations would appear to prompt people to become vegan sooner.

More research is needed to come to a solid conclusion, but the findings reported here make me even more confident in Vegan Outreach’s approach. Our booklets focus on the suffering involved when people eat animals and their products – an appeal to ethics. I hope what the studies suggest is true – that this argument makes people more likely to go – and stay – vegan.

by Jack Norris, RD, President of Vegan Outreach

April 14th marks the release of the 40th Anniversary ebook edition of Peter Singer’s groundbreaking work, Animal Liberation, originally published in 1975.

Animal Liberation played a critical role in inspiring a generation of animal advocates. It was instrumental for influencing the activism of a number of Vegan Outreach’s Board members, including myself. If you are at all interested in animal advocacy and have not read the book, you owe it to the animals–and yourself–to do so!

Animal Liberation is divided into six chapters:

1. All Animals Are Equal
2. Tools for Research
3. Down on the Factory Farm
4. Become a Vegetarian
5. Man’s Dominion
6. Speciesism Today

I have always thought that chapter one, All Animals Are Equal, contained the most eloquent and concise argument for extending moral consideration to animals. In reading it again for this review, my opinion hasn’t wavered. Here is an excerpt that summarizes the argument:

“If a being suffers there can be no moral justification for refusing to take that suffering into consideration. No matter what the nature of the being, the principle of equality requires that its suffering be counted equally with the like suffering—insofar as rough comparisons can be made—of any other being. If a being is not capable of suffering, or of experiencing enjoyment or happiness, there is nothing to be taken into account. So the limit of sentience is the only defensible boundary of concern for the interests of others. To mark this boundary by some other characteristic like intelligence or rationality would be to mark it in an arbitrary manner.”

Animal Liberation popularized the term speciesism. Singer writes:

“Racists violate the principle of equality by giving greater weight to the interests of members of their own race when there is a clash between their interests and the interests of those of another race. Sexists violate the principle of equality by favoring the interests of their own sex. Similarly, speciesists allow the interests of their own species to override the greater interests of members of other species. The pattern is identical in each case.”

Except for the parts cataloging the abuse of animals (Chapters 2 and 3), I find Animal Liberation to be a very enjoyable read and was glad I had a reason to reacquaint myself with it.

You can buy a copy of the re-released eBook by clicking this link:

By Lisa Rimmert, Donor Relations Manager

When we think about the meat industry, some of the animals that usually come to mind are cows, pigs, and chickens. But there’s another species, one we don’t often think of, whose members end up in slaughterhouses by the hundreds of thousands every year.

Each year, about 200,000 American horses – some discarded from the horse racing industry – are made into food. From now until the end of horse racing’s Triple Crown – June 6 – Vegan Outreach is partnering with vegan author Kristine Oakhurst to spread awareness of the suffering involved in the racing and horse meat industries.

Here’s how you can help: purchase the book Tall Omaha, and until June 6, 100% of the royalties will be donated to Vegan Outreach to support our mission to end animal suffering.

Tall Omaha is the first book in a trilogy from author Kristine Oakhurst, who herself is vegan, and is actually a former animal cruelty investigator. It tells a story of a young, abandoned filly and her journey from the racetrack to the arms of a similarly discarded 16-year-old girl. Now—and this isn’t exactly a spoiler—but Tall Omaha (the filly’s nickname is also the book title) and the girl, Max, don’t even meet in the first book, but their parallel journeys are both inspiring and heartbreaking, and at times, the abuses suffered by one are almost a direct stand-in for the horrors suffered by the other. The chapters bounce back and forth between horse and girl, but with a few detail changes. It’s like we could be reading about the same person or animal, all in unison.

Of the hundreds of thousands of unwanted horses sent to slaughter in Canada or Mexico and exported to Europe and Asia, around 20% raced at least once in the U.S. That’s a staggering 109 American racehorses per day turned into food for human consumption.

While the last American horse slaughterhouse closed in 2006 due to pressure on Congress from animal activists, the plight of American horses is far from over. Not only have groups in New Mexico been trying to open a new one since 2012, but because there are no active slaughterhouses in the U.S, there are only two USDA inspectors looking out for the welfare of horses headed to slaughter in other countries.

With all this in mind, I am proud that Vegan Outreach is bringing you a great opportunity to learn about the racing industry while contributing to our mission to reduce animal suffering. Tall Omaha is a great book featuring both an animal and a vegan main character, written by a vegan author, and further supporting empathy for both human and non-human animals.

Support Vegan Outreach. Buy Tall Omaha on Kindle or Paperback, and 100% of the proceeds will go to prevent animal suffering by inspiring more people to go vegan – for the cows, pigs, chickens, horses, and all animals.

Welcome to the Supporter Spotlight post for April! In these monthly blog posts, we take a moment to shine a spotlight on our members, whose hard work and generosity truly enable the work of Vegan Outreach. This month’s Spotlight is particularly exciting, as we celebrate someone who has been vegan for 25 years! Congratulations to Babs McDonald. Let’s get to know her, shall we?

Tell us about yourself, Babs.

I have been a U.S. Forest Service employee for 23 years. I co-write and co-edit a science education journal called Natural Inquirer, which is free in hard copy and on the Web. (Check it out!) I live in Athens, Georgia on 14 mostly wooded acres with my vegan husband (Ken Cordell) and nine rescued dogs. Ken does a lot of innovative vegetable and wildflower gardening. We work to make our land a refuge for wildlife. I’ve been hyperactive all of my life, so I am an avid exerciser. My two favorite things to do are hiking in Scotland and long distance, open-water swimming (in warmer climates than Scotland!).

Share with us the story of your “vegan journey.”

I had been mostly vegetarian since my second year in college, and became a committed vegetarian after my stepsons left home in the mid-1980s. I was becoming more aware of the broad scope of animal cruelty, primarily through PETA and local activism. I organized a PETA Animal Rights 101 workshop in March 1990. In the weeks previous to the workshop, my forever dog Weber, then 14, declined rapidly.

Everything coalesced on March 17, 1990. Weber passed away early that morning. The workshop that day was tough for me, but being surrounded by 100 like-minded people (and four PETA employees) helped me through. That day, in memory of Weber, I vowed to do as little harm to animals as possible. Going vegan, obviously, was the largest part of that vow.

How has being vegan changed in the last 25 years?

I started a Ph.D. program in Adult Learning in 1994. For my research, I chose to study how people learned to become vegan. Through personal interviews, I learned that many vegans struggled as they chose a vegan lifestyle. I learned about vegans who had their marriages break up, lost jobs, and whose family members became distant or rejected them. In the mid and late-1990s, some people viewed veganism as a cult. At best, some people were suspicious of vegans. I’ve seen a cultural shift in the last 25 years.

Today, vegans may still be left off of dinner invitation lists, but I sense an unspoken respect for vegans, and an acknowledgement of veganism’s health and environmental benefits. For the most part in my experience, however, most people still don’t want to be confronted with the abhorrent cruelty involved in their meat and dairy-based choices. Vegan food options are much better today than 25 years ago.

What advice do you have for people who want to go and stay vegan?

The most challenging question from my perspective is how does one stay vegan? I believe the following self-knowledge helps to make a sustained vegan lifestyle possible, and perhaps even easy:

1. an undeniable recognition that one is complicit in animal cruelty and environmental degradation every time they consume an animal product or by-product,
2. a spiritual understanding that suffering is an unwanted experience of all living beings, and
3. the sense of empowerment that comes with knowing that personal choice is possible and powerful: that one can live well without harming or taking the life of other living beings.

I tell people that being vegan is great for my heart — it gives me great joy. My research taught me that you never know what information people will connect with that will lead them to a vegan decision. Maybe even more important, you never know when that information will become relevant. Some of my vegan participants went vegan five or more years after their initial introduction to institutionalized animal cruelty. Vegan Outreach does a fantastic job of providing information that might lead to a vegan choice.

How did you first get involved with Vegan Outreach?

I learned about Vegan Outreach while doing my dissertation research. Jack Norris was one of my dissertation participants. I’ve always had the deepest respect for Vegan Outreach’s intelligent and successful approach to teaching others about veganism.

You’ve supported VO since 1997! What inspires this?

Vegan Outreach has a well-developed and proven model for success in getting the word out about veganism to people mostly likely to choose a vegan lifestyle. Some of these people may become vegan 1, 5, or 10 years from now based on Vegan Outreach’s efforts today. The most effective way for each individual to reduce animal cruelty, decrease the impact of climate change, improve environmental health, and support his or her own health is to choose a vegan lifestyle. I like putting my support where it will have the greatest impact for animal well-being and for our planet.

Finally, share with us your absolute favorite meal.

Over time, I find myself drawn to less-processed and minimally-cooked foods. My favorite meal at home is tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn on the cob straight from the garden. I can eat corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes all summer without tiring of them. I am interested to learn if other long-term vegans experience this increasing preference for minimally-cooked and unprocessed foods. Of course, it’s fun to eat the occasional vegan hotdog! Vegan meat substitutes make it easier to be a part of social events, and that’s a great thing.

Thank you, Babs, and congratulations on 25 years of being vegan!

Join Babs in supporting the work of Vegan Outreach by signing up for a monthly donation today.

And for help transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan diet, check out our Mentor Program.

By Toni Okamoto

I’m currently in Maryland visiting some friends, including my pal Bella (photographed above).

Bella’s guardians introduced me to an amazing line of 100% plant-based “rawhides” for dogs called Whimzees. They’re a cruelty-free alternative with healthy, natural ingredients, and Bella LOVES them!

If you’re looking for vegan-friendly dog treats, check them out! Here is some important info from their website:

“We’re a company of dog-lovers, people-lovers and Earth-lovers. We’re obsessed with bringing only the best, healthiest and most-fun dog products to the world. And we do it in a sustainable, socially-responsible way.”

You can find WHIMZEES at Petco, PetSmart, Pet Supplies Plus, Pet Valu and independent pet retailers.

If I told you that shopping online could inspire new vegans, would you think it was an April Fools Day joke?

It’s true!

When you shop at The Vegetarian Site in the month of April, they will donate 10% of your sale – in fact, all sales! – to Vegan Outreach, so we can continue spreading the message of compassion and inspiring more people to go vegan!

So whether you need some new shampoo, a pair of boots for upcoming Spring hikes, or chocolate syrup to drizzle on your vegan ice cream, head over to The Vegetarian Site and help reduce animal suffering while you shop!

Buy vegan goods. Inspire new vegans.

The Vegetarian Site will donate to Vegan Outreach 10% of all sales made in April – regardless of what is purchased, by whom, or through what link.

Check out the great products available now at The Vegetarian Site!