Published Letters and Op-Eds from
COK’s Writers Group

Vegans Choose Cruelty-Free Holiday Foods

Thank you for sharing Addison Herron-Wheeler’s thoughtful story about vegan Thanksgiving celebrations [“Tofurkey, an animal-friendly alternative,” Nov. 22].

Addison, a high school senior, should be applauded for encouraging others to put compassion at the center of their holiday feasts. Leaving animals off our plates doesn’t mean skimping on flavor. Rather, it simply means choosing the cruelty-free versions of our favorite foods.

Each year in the U.S., billions of birds, pigs, and cows are raised and killed for food. With virtually no laws to protect them, they are routinely subjected to cruel practices including intensive confinement and mutilations without pain relief.

As a former animal control officer in Washington, I am certain that if such abuses were inflicted upon the dogs and cats with whom we share our homes it would result in prosecution.

Thankfully, each of us can express our compassion for animals every time we sit down to eat, simply by choosing vegan foods.

Erica Meier
Washington
The writer is executive director of Compassion Over Killing.