My name is Sophie and I love animals. Not only the "I think that puppies and kittens are cute" kind of love but also the "I think that animals should be treated as equals" kind of love. I have had an infatuation for non-human animals for as long as I can remember, that which I can only assume began when I was a child; the zoo was my favorite place (the petting zoo, specifically) and I wanted to learn about all of the animals they had (before I realized the problems with this kind of animal captivity). Thankfully, as I have gotten older, I have become more aware of the depressing amount of animal cruelty that exists in our world. My love for animals does not stop there, however. While I find that my diet often comes with a certain stigma, I notice that it is most often the result of misinterpreted information. In fact, more often than not, it will not affect you in any way. I have been a vegan for over three years and plan to be so in the foreseeable future. While I personally cannot justify eating an animal or its byproducts, your choices are not mine to make for you, although, I will inform you if it is appropriate. I took a small step towards this when I was eight, the age at which I decided I would no longer eat meat that came from pigs or cows (the animals I deemed “too cute to eat”). Three years ago, however, I decided that animals deserve to have a life just as much as I do and that I no longer wanted to be a part of a meat-obsessed culture and contribute to the unethical industry. My ultimate goal is simply to speak for those who cannot.