The road ahead is long and fraught with challenges, but the support for a slaughterhouse ban and the growing awareness about the plight of farmed animals give me hope. Together, we can build a future where compassion and empathy guide our actions, and where no sentient being has to suffer for our choices.
Denver Baby Animal Save: The Catalyst for Change
In June 2017, Sarah, a dear friend, and I headed north to bear
witness in Denver. The smell of the industrialized neighborhood
pierced our nostrils – the stench was unforgettable. As we drove up
Emerson Street off Washington Street towards the back of the
building, we encountered Superior Farms lamb slaughterhouse. The
parking lot was nearly empty, and we slowly approached, uncertain of
what to expect.
The Colorado summer heat slapped my body as I got out of the car,
and after looking around, we both headed along the pavement toward
the main gate, only a few dozen yards away. And there they were
behind the chain-linked fence, held together by a lock which was not
clasped shut, and which almost fell on numerous occasions. Behind
the fence were hundreds of lambs who I expected, but wasn’t prepared
to meet.
The image of those lambs, matted with feces and urine, their eyes full of fear, is seared into my memory. The smell pierced the air and stung my nostrils once again, but, for the first time, I realized to the fullest extent just who exactly I was fighting for. It was at that moment that I fully realized the impact I could have by bearing witness, and eventually, transforming my grief into political action as an organizer for Pro-Animal Future. Bearing witness to the suffering of animals profoundly affects our attitudes and actions and is a life-changing experience. Standing there, facing the lambs behind the fence, I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness and determination.
Superior Farms Can’t Keep a Secret
Since the initial day that Sarah and I bore witness, Denver Baby
Animal Save, the name of the group that sprung up to organize at the
slaughterhouse, has held hundreds of protests, and vigils, and left
emotional marks on the activists who would seek out the truth. There
were days when waiting for trucks tested our patience and
determination. When vigils commenced in the early evening, and a
truck did not arrive, oftentimes the crowds would head home.
Slaughterhouses thrive on secrecy. Over the years, Superior Farms
closed roads and blocked fences to prevent people from bearing
witness. This experience began a never-ending urgency to bring their
plight to light and to challenge the slaughterhouse’s operations.
Activists started to conduct ceremonies at each vigil to honor each
baby lamb. Together, we sang, spoke about what lived in our hearts,
wrote messages of compassion with chalk, and more.
Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.
"Dear Kat. It was an honor to see you." Photo Credit: Alaina
Sigler