30. Choosing Kindness
Harper Garrison is a high school student from Austin, Texas. She raised a lamb (who she named Onion!) through the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. They soon formed a bond and Harper began to question Onion's fate; to be returned to the farm at the end of the program where she would be used as a 'breeder' and then sent to slaughter, once she was no longer profitable.
Harper got help from LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals and the Planet), PETA2 and Austin Farm Sanctuary to remove Onion from the program and move her to the farm sanctuary where she now lives, enjoying her days and hanging out with other animals.
Harper tells her story of the rescue, as well as her growing involvement in animal advocacy. She talks about the organisations that helped, and her increasing awareness of the plight of farm animals. We discuss the encouraging growth of organisations that promote empathy and compassion, groups that are facilitating a new way to engage with animals.
Sources:
https://leapforanimals.org/saving-onion-the-sheep-from-slaughter/
https://www.peta2.com/culture/harper-onion/
https://www.austinfarmsanctuary.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/showlambpage/posts/9928691373925428/
Dr Crystal Heath on Healthification podcast:
https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/what-vets-arent-taught-about-animal-rights-with-dr-crystal-heath/
FFA website:
Further resources:
https://www.teachkind.org/ffa-4h-school-agriculture-programs/
Danielle Hanosh, founder of LEAP, on the Better Life for Animals podcast:
https://betterlifeforanimals.com/podcast/024-danielle-hanosh/
Alternatives to 4H:
https://thehumaneleague.org/article/alternatives-to-4-h
Jessica Long – the case of Cedar the goat:
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23669586/goat-girl-4-h-shasta-county-seizure
Featured music:
Another Good Day by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.