Snakes in India
By Nilesh Bhanage, age 23
"In India, since ancient times, snakes are supposed to be treated as gods. But since in cities snakes are very rare, many rural people come holding snakes in small, round baskets to show to make money. In this business the living conditions of the snakes becomes very bad..."

Equestrian Sports: Inhumane?
By Laura Schwartzman, age 16
"I think I've been disowned - twice. As a horse owner and participant in riding, some view me as an animal rights hypocrite; yet my criticisms of the sport tend to annoy fellow equestrians. With the Summer Olympics taking place this year, I implore animal rights advocates to investigate the situation! Problem is, the equestrian world is so diverse that forming consistent opinions on horse treatment can be nearly impossible..."

Non-Leather Alternatives for Horseback Riding
By Laura Schwartzman, age 16
"After writing an article entitled "Equestrian Sports: Inhumane?", I scanned the barn and came up with the following equestrian products that I suggest replacing with vegan alternatives where possible..."

Peaceful Activism: Do What You Can
By Anna Hays, age 18
"It all began last Thanksgiving when I chose to adopt, not eat, a turkey. I sent 15 dollars to Farm Sanctuary in New York in order to save a turkey from a commercial turkey hunt. About a month later I got a picture of my adopted turkey in the mail. Her name is Nila, and she is living peacefully at the Farm Sanctuary in California. It really brought tears to my eyes..."

How we are Raised to Abuse Animals and What we can do About it
By Rick Kump, age 17
"The amount of animal abuse in this world is the most catastrophic it has ever been. Animals are beaten, scalded, cut, shot, electrocuted, stolen from their homes, chained, caged, burnt, skinned, whipped, suffocated, poisoned, stabbed , and tortured. Compassionate people are understandably confused and feel disheartened by this. Surely kindness is not a phase that one grows out of?"

What's Wrong With Animal Products?
By Melissa Kania, age 13
"Leather, wool, suede... what's wrong with these things? They come from animal furs and are made into coats, pants, shirts and necklaces. Just think, an animal dying just so some person can look pretty. People sometimes come up with the approach that if they buy one thing, what harm can it do?"

Wildlife is in Danger
By Sarah Bau, age 13
"Hunting is the number one threat to wildlife today. Hunters kill over 200 million animals every year. So why do people hunt? Most hunt for one or more of the following reasons: tradition, to be in the club, recreation, to be close to nature, to feel "like a man", or to experience the thrill of the kill..."

Why You Should Attend Liberation Now!
By Melissa Cavagnaro-Wong, age 15
"Animal rights conferences have always been key to my development as an activist; from inspiration to education, they have helped me do more for the animals than I ever could have done alone. The national animal rights conference, Animal Rights 2001 (AR2001), in Washington DC was the start of my activism and, in my eyes, perfect in every capacity but one: I couldn’t find a single person anywhere near my 14 years of age..."

Hindsight
By Miyun Park
"Imagine, if you will, a red-faced activist screaming, "Shame on you!" at a fur store patron. "Murderer!" The look of absolute horror on the woman's face only fueling the animal advocate's rage. "Animal killer!" It was the summer of 1997. In the seven years since becoming vegan, I had undergone a miraculous transformation from being so unbearably timid, I couldn't even chant at demonstrations (yes, I actually just mouthed the words!) to…well…I don't even know how to describe what I morphed into. Suffice it to say, I exuded sheer fury..."

Beyond the Hilton:
Getting What You Can Out of an Animal Rights Conference
By Laurel Long, age 17
"On July 27, 2003, I packed my bags and set sail for the great unknown…the Hilton at Tyson’s Corner and the AR2003 Conference. I returned from the conference full of newfound insights, motivation, and a few too many vegan doughnuts. For those of you who are considering attending next year’s Animal Rights Conference, here are some pieces of advice I’d like to share..."

Animals Can Feel Pain
By Peter Cherney, age 18
"A few months ago, an already massive campaign to "purify" my high school of mice intensified further. I was concerned that containment and compassion were being surpassed in importance by convenience and cruelty. Animals would suffer because of this..."

It's Easy to Start an Animal Rights Club!
By Shakira Croce, age 14
"When I decided to found Gainesville High School's first ever animal rights club (located in the "poultry capital of the world"), I had no idea what persistence REALLY meant, but I found out and boy did it ever pay off!"

Confessions of a Teenage Activist
By Miyun Park
"As a tragically unhip survivor of the self-indulgent '80s-that glorious decade when it was cool not to care about much more than money and big hair-I thought I'd unveil my battle scars. My point isn't to embarrass myself by revealing just how uncool I was (although that'll no doubt happen)..."

Pain and Greed
By Ryan Courtade, age 16
"What do Pringles, Macaroni and Cheese, and Hawaiian Punch have in common? Besides the fact that they taste good, they all contribute to the worst forms of cruelty on this earth..."

Cut Out Dissection
By Shakira Croce, age 14
"Choosing not to dissect is not opting out of learning. There are so many alternatives (models, diagrams, films, and computer programs) that teach you just as much as cutting up a dead animal..."

The Sociology of Saying No
By Kate Epting, age 19
"In early July I traveled to Florida to help collect signatures for the pig initiative. Every day I put on a smile and some sunscreen and walked out the door, with sharpened pencils in my pocket and a stack of petitions under my arm...."

The Face of Milk
By Kristen Walker, age 26
"Before visiting Norway for the first time, I had never had the opportunity to look into the eyes of milk's face. Growing up in Southern California, I had always experienced cows as black and white blurs on the side of the freeway..."

No Hunting in Heaven, part one
By Shakira Croce, age 14
"The first subspecies of humans to hunt were cavemen. It appears that hunting has invalidated the theory of evolution, since after millions of years this subspecies continues the barbaric practice of murdering the innocent. How can any normal human being derive enjoyment from the killing of helpless animals and then justify this act by calling it a sport?"

No Hunting in Heaven, part two
By Shakira Croce, age 14
Part one presented humane arguments against hunting. Now read the author's religious arguments.

Thoughts on the Souls of Animals
By Rachel Crowley, age 16
"Animals possess every characteristic that we recognize in ourselves as the spark of life: they eat, they grow, they breathe, they bleed, they die. Why should they not also share with us the privilege of a soul? "

Animal Rights Club
By Karen Chiodo
"In high school, I decided to join the Animal Rights Club. That's when I realized there was no Animal Rights Club. So, I made the decision to start one of my own..."

How I Started Paws
By Nilesh Bhanage, age 22
"It has taken two years to learn how to treat animals, then where to admit cattle, and where all the hospitals and shelters are located. But I contacted other volunteers and got PAWS registered."

Dealing With the Difficulties of Being A Teenage Vegetarian
By Ava Wolfberg, age 16
"Everyone goes through difficulties and everyone has to pay for their viewpoints, if ethics were easy everyone would be ethical. What can you do right now to feel happy about your vegetarianism and gain some respect?"

How to Deal with Criticism
By Shakira Croce, age 14
"Whenever you are part of a minority, you will have to face criticism. Whether you receive adverse pressure from family, friends, or strangers, it is important to stay strong and focused and stand up for what you believe to be the truth...."

Animals Have No Rights?!
By Shakira Croce, age 14
An actual letter to the editor of her local newspaper.

Teens Sound Off on ALF
Conversation from the Vegteen Email List
"Are any of you Animal Liberation Front supporters?" "If I was you, I wouldn't talk about supporting the ALF, it's just something you don't talk about..."

Hang in There!
By Ingrid Newkirk
An excerpt from her book Kids Can Save the Animals: 101 Easy Things to do

Compassionfest 2005: Teens Making a Difference for Animal Rights
By Lisa Steele
"Ryan is only 16 years old, but he has been active in helping the animals for over five years. He is the founder of CompassionFest 2005, which will take place this September..."

Teens Against Premarin
An Interview by Michelle Smith
We talked with 8th grader Alex Yamada, founder of TAP, an animal activism group, about saving horses from the horrors of Premarin production.

Living Cruelty-Free
By Lisa Steele
"Chances are you are already far ahead of the average consumer in terms of choosing to live a natural lifestyle...but are you also cruelty-free?"

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