9 Quotes & Sayings By Ingrid Newkirk

Ingrid Newkirk, Founder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), has been a prominent animal rights activist since she was a teenager. Ingrid began her career as a volunteer at the local SPCA in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1976, she founded PETA with her close friend Alex Pacheco, a writer and photographer whose debut book, The Last Great Ape, is a classic in its field. She is known for her wit and love of language.

1
Every animal has his or her story, his or her thoughts, daydreams, and interests. All feel joy and love, pain and fear, as we now know beyond any shadow of a doubt. All deserve that the human animal afford them the respect of being cared for with great consideration for those interests or left in peace. Ingrid Newkirk
2
PETA's campaign should be included in school curricula. If we can open children's hearts and minds to animals' needs, teach them to treat a dog or a chicken as if they feel fear and love and pain - as they do - then they will grow up to understand that we are all worthy of respect. Ingrid Newkirk
3
Give your dog or cat respect, patience, understanding and love. And if you just change to one vegetarian day a week, that's a wonderful step that will save animal lives. It means you have chosen something kind instead of something cruel. Ingrid Newkirk
4
Perhaps measuring animal intelligence by comparing it to human intelligence isn't the best litmus test. Ingrid Newkirk
5
Real nutrition comes from soybeans, almonds, rice, and other healthy vegetable sources, not from a cow's udder. Ingrid Newkirk
6
Although we have, in theory, abolished human slavery, recognized women's rights, and stopped child labor, we continue to enslave other species who, if we simply pay attention, show quite clearly that they experience parental love, pain, and the desire for freedom, just as we do. Ingrid Newkirk
7
Perhaps one of the most important things you can do for human beings is wean them off an animal-based diet. It hardens the arteries and runs up our health-care costs. The last thing a poor person can afford is a heart attack or cancer or a stroke. And that's all linked to a meat-based diet. I think animal liberation is human liberation. Ingrid Newkirk
8
Going meat-free can make a huge difference. Studies show that vegetarians are, on average, 10 to 20 pounds lighter than meat-eaters and that a vegetarian diet reduces our risk of heart disease by 40 percent and adds seven or more years to our lifespan. Ingrid Newkirk