Swayed yet? It's definitely an effective strategy, especially combined with the gruesome photos. But it can also be a turn off to many people, and fails to totally encapsulate the reasons for choosing an animal-free diet. On the turkey flipside:
There's the real reason. It's not the caged animals, but the uncaged ones. They enjoy their freedom. Every morning, they are so excited to be let out and catch their first glimpse of the new day. If you're lucky enough to have some free time to spend with them, you're greeted with a welcome not expected from birds. No, they're not hungry- they like you. Turkeys love the attention. At other times you can find them dust-bathing, scratching at the ground for food, napping on a warm afternoon, or occasionally fighting over someone's attention. They can become lonely and depressed if isolated. Otherwise, they spend time standing close and grooming each other.
It's obvious that all of the animals at CAS, and any other rescued animals have lives that matter. This is so easy to miss. We rarely see wild animals, who undoubtedly have similar experiences. Most of our interactions are with domesticated animals, and we forget that they have feelings and lives outside of their relationships to us, however we define them.
So, the next time someone tries to tell you that animals don't matter or don't lead full lives, point to a turkey (or that picture if none are readily available). That's why vegan.
