Do you have a pet? Any kind of animal you love in your everyday life? I have 5 guinea pigs, a rabbit, and two dogs. But I also have wildlife that I love - a flock of six turkeys who have established my yard as their territory, numerous birds that come to my feeders for sustenance during this awful winter, the requisite squirrels, occasional coyote loping through the trees, bees and butterflies who come to the garden I have planted for them.

I also put out hay for the deer in the woods. They may not be finding a lot to eat this winter.

All of this explains why I am vegan. I know that my pets have emotional lives of their own. I see their mood changes, their interactions, their cravings, their hiding places, their favorite toys.

I know that wild animals have the exact same lives, without the pampering provided by me. I have seen the turkeys squabble, fight over seed, then all together move back into the trees.

I have seen the coyote skirt the yard, look at the house and see me watching him. He stops for a moment, then starts moving again. He knows humans are not his friends (except this one).

So I don't eat animals, or the byproducts of animals like milk or eggs, because their lives are as worthy as mine. They deserve to live to a ripe old age, just as I do and just as we all do.

Go vegan, be kind, and save the world.