Compassion over Convenience

Photos and Writing by Jared Leingang

For my labor of love project I decided to showcase my aunt, Kim, who is a vegan and animal rights activist. She has been vegan for roughly eight years now and is not on the diet just for the potential health benefits but to help support animals as well. She cited how bad the dairy and meat industries are as a determining factor in her decision to go vegan. She is part of a program where she can pay to purchase a cow and a pig on a farm and pay to keep them from being slaughtered. She also attends multiple events throughout the year that raise money for animal rights organizations and is very active in the community. It has ultimately become her passion, her love and her life. I also decided to showcase pictures of cows that are an example of cows being treated inhumanely, and some being treated more compassionately.

Veganism is a growing trend in the United States and the world. Kim and her daughter, Margaux are at a recent vegan event. Even little Margaux is a vegan too.

Vegan lifestyle is more then just eating healthy it's about helping protect and save animals as well

There are a lot of Vegan events in cities that raise awareness and more and more restaurants offering vegan options as well.

“I realized animals are so similar to us. They have feelings and a right to life. So I wanted to do my part to represent them," said Kim.

Kim has her own cow that she pays to keep from being slaughtered. She also is a part of a huge vegan community in Portland, Oregon, the city she lives in.

Although most cows are stuck in a farm some are given a better environment where they are free to run around.

This was on the road past Washtucna. The cows were free and seemed to be loving life. When approached most would run away. Kim said more cows should be able to live like this.

This is the landscape they live in. Free from dirty farm stables and able to run around to their hearts content

This is an example of a cow that is stuck an an enclosure on a ranch. Kim mentioned many animals, not just cattle, are often mistreated.

These cows are jailed up in an enclosure near Othello, WA. Over 2.6 million cattle will be killed each year, which is something Kim says needs to be changed.