Hiya Kind Hearts,
If you’re part of my Facebook community, you know that I regularly share petitions that have to do with food policy and animal welfare. Often times I’m posting about a breaking undercover investigation by Mercy for Animals (MFA). When I do, I’m always amazed by so many of my loving readers (you!). It only take a few minutes to become a voice for the voiceless and I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your effort and your kindness. Signing, sharing and caring rocks, which is why I’m thrilled about this blog.
Today I’m interviewing one of my absolute heroes, Nathan Runkle, the founder of Mercy for Animals.
If you can believe it, Nathan started MFA when he was fifteen years old. FIFTEEN. I’m simply in awe of his vision and dedication. There aren’t many individuals who will stand up to big business and demand change, let alone witness severe suffering and stick with it. And get this, he’s already been doing this work for half his life and he doesn’t show any signs of stopping.
Watch my interview with Nathan Runkle above or download it here and listen on the go. Note: To download the mp3 file right click (or Ctrl+Click on a Mac) on the link and “Save Link As” to save it to your computer.
Mercy for Animals does work that few are brave enough to do, heartbreaking work that pulls back the curtain and shows what’s truly going on in factory farms.
I interviewed Nathan to give you the opportunity to connect with MFA’s amazing mission. I also wanted you to hear first hand that MFA’s advocacy isn’t about convincing the world to go vegan—it’s about passing legislation designed to protect helpless farm animals from a life of abuse and confinement. It’s about pushing for transparency, setting humane standards for all farms, and inspiring more and more individuals to vote with their dollars at the supermarket.
Here’s what we covered in our conversation:
- A behind-the-scenes look at how Mercy For Animals carries out undercover investigations.
- How factory farms impact animals AND the people who work there.
- What everyone should know about ag-gag laws.
- What really happens when you sign an online petition.
- How individuals can make the biggest impact for animal welfare.
- Mercy for Animals’ landmark successes—Hip, hip, hooray!
- If you aren’t 100% plant-based, what you can do to protect animal welfare through food choices.
- If you’re curious about a plant-based diet, learn how to get started (without the overwhelm) at ChooseVeg.com.
- How Nathan prevents burnout despite his high-stress position. (Hint: Self-care to the rescue!)
I hope that you’ll take the time to watch this video and that it moves you and inspires you in some way. Lastly, I want to leave you with this beautiful quote from our interview:
Your turn: Have you had an a-ha moment when it comes to farm animal welfare? Or did this interview move you in some way? Empower others by sharing your thoughts in the comments!
Peace & compassion,
This inspires me and breaks my heart all at the same time. I think about all the animals suffering around the world and it brings me to tears. The feeling of helplessness and inability to control or end any of it makes me even more sad. I’m so happy to hear that being vegetarian, sharing vids, and signing petitions really does make a difference. Bravo for the work that you do, dear friends. I’m the only vegetarian in my family and at my office, so I’m feeling an extreme urge to introduce meat-less Monday in my house and at work! Meatless Monday could potentially save 1 BILLION ANIMALS?!?! That’s incredible! Thank you a million times for the work you do, thank you for the animals you save, and thank you for making me feel like I really can make a difference, even if it’s small <3
Thanks Tiffany!
Thank you Kris for having Nathan on your program to talk about the hard work which is to be a watchdog to try to make a difference for the animal abuse that occurs daily in the animal industry. Ag gag laws are truly unfair to protect the companies to keep the standard industry of abuse without the public’s knowledge. If it needs to be hidden in such a way, something is truly wrong.
I had the great opportunity to participate in our local Walmart protest against the pig gestation crates last year. The visual was powerful and I am grateful for the program that Mercy for Animals took across the US.
Thank you Nathan for the work that you do.
Thank you Rhonda–and thanks for your work too. x kc
Great Interview!! Thank you Kris for bringing this very important truth to your audience. I have been supporting Mercy for Animals for a couple of years now and I wish I could do more! Thank you to all the people who help uncover all this suffering! They are angels on earth.
Again thank you for being such an awesome and inspirational women!!
I applaud Nathan for his work with Mercy for Animals and giving them a voice. I believe it’s been long overdue. I’m from Canada, but cruelty to animals happens on both sides of the border. I believe if children learn from a young age where their food comes from and that animals feel pain like humans do, it would help to prevent animal cruelty in the future. I don’t think people really give a lot of thought as to how meat gets to the supermarket or that it comes from a living, breathing animal that feels pain. Congratulations on your successes and hope your work and words spread to make this place better for these animals. Thanks for posting!
Thank you Kris and Nathan I loved the interview. So informative and inspiring. Just shared it. Kris I loved your comment, “Moving away from stuff and moving towards stuff that matters”. Thank you both.
Warmly,
Terri Lewis
Thanks Terri. 🙂
Fantastic interview! What tremendous passion Nathan and Mercy for Animals inspires! His life’s dedication and the culture he’s created is enabling everyone to look down an ugly path that must be faced and corrected forever.
We have put a robot on a speeding comet, it’s time we apply that same vigor and intelligence to ending needless suffering of our fellow speechless creatures, especially when that suffering is entirely due to our archaic attitudes.
I appreciate the progress, not necessarily perfection thought.
Thank you for spreading the word!!
Thank you for this interview. My first step towards more compassionate living started with animals. I eat less meat proportionately and per week. Also only ethically raised organic meat. When I go to restaurants I will only pick meat from local farms (no factory farming) and if they don’t have that I eat vegetarian or Ocean Wise fish. Once I made this decision it has been easy to do!! If everyone did some modification we could put factory farming out of commission.
We don’t have to wait for someone else to do something about this. Its our choice. These animals don’t come prepackaged at the grocery store. They are giving us their lives the least we can do is honour their existence while they are here amongst us.
Great suggestions Safena. xo
Awesome interview. What an amazing person raising awareness for so many voiceless farm animals.
Nathan, you are such an inspiration and words alone are not enough to thank you for helping the voiceless and innocent. Kris, thank you for bringing him on your show!
For those who are meat eaters… What humane meat/dairy/egg suppliers and farms should we support? Is there a list anywhere? I definitely don’t want to support this nasty industry.
Keep up the good work, Nathan… and keep spreading the good word, Kris. I am working on starting up my own blog which will definitely be supporting MFA and animal welfare. My heart is in this with you.
Thank you both for all the work you do. I’m so happy you did this interview to share what a difference we can make if we all stick together. Your comment that 7 billion animals would be spared if everyone participated in meatless Monday’s blew me away. While I am not 100% vegan or vegetarian, I do my best to be mindful of my choices and help spread the word on animal cruelty as much as I can.
Awesome interview and person. One of the wonderful by-products of local agriculture is the higher possibility that animals are treated humanely. Since what we eat introduces particular energies into our being, if we choose to include animal products in our diet, it makes a difference how those animals lived. Also, all of these energies are absolutely part of the greater community and world we live in. Thanks for presenting things like this.
Nathan,
Thank you for your wonderful work!!!
Hi Kris and Nathan,
This interview was awesome! Nathan, your work is so inspiring and makes such a huge difference in our world.
I loved your points about how small changes like going flexitarian or even giving up meat one day a week have a big impact on animal welfare and our own health. It’s easy to think that we have to “go big” to really effect change, and I’m glad to see that’s not true. 🙂
Thank you, Kris and Nathan for all you do to create a more compassionate world!
XO,
Heather
I can’t wait to watch the video on my lunch break. While I’m not opposed to eating meat (even though I rarely do), I think the treatment of factory animals is disgusting. I am grateful for people like him to help change the way things currently work.
Hi Kris,
You know I already love you, and always appreciate the interviews your share with us!
Nathan, thank you! I look forward to supporting your organization in the future and please tells your staff thank you. While everyone’s work is important, I’m especially grateful for those who can go into these companies and stand with animals in their suffering. It is easier to not look at suffering than to be with it.
Best wishes for continued success and thank you!
Awesome interview!!! I can’t believe that laws have been passed to gag whistle blowers from showing the truth about conditions on these farms.
Ridiculously informative, and I commend Nathan and all the people supporting him on their dedication to such a worthy cause!
That’s awesome, but left me wondering regarding humans that are also suffering from trauma, through
accidents, violence, or health concerns. Where do they go for help?
Humans (at least in most modernized countries) have social services, hospitals, doctors, lawyers, police officers, firemen, rescue workers, the military, the court system, laws, regulations, that offer protection and resources, etc. Nonprofit rescue organizations and charities across the globe help humans in need. Animals, who have no voice of their own, who are the most vulnerable beings in our society, have only brave people like Nathan who choose to devote their lives to helping them. But it’s not a matter of either or, is it? We don’t need to choose between animals and humans. Let’s help everyone if we can. Suffering is suffering. Choosing to be vegan and caring about animals does not take any resources away from suffering humans – in fact, cutting down on meat consumption helps humanity by reducing pollution and cruelty to factory farm and slaughterhouse workers. A nonprofit like MFA that works to reduce the suffering of animals and nudge humanity toward a place of more morality, more compassion, more mercy, can only help humanity as a whole and helps the world become a better place for all beings. The more we expand our circle of compassion, the better off everyone is.
Very, very well said Bean!
Amazing response:) Compassion is inclusive always. And the beauty of choosing a plant strong diet is that everyone benefits physically and emotionally/spiritually: humans, animal and the planet (since animal farming is linked to deforestation, climate change, contamination of grounds and waters), there is no going wrong. One choice, many beautiful outcomes spiraling out.
Thank you both Kris and Nathan for being brave enough to tackle these topics and speak your truth, and the truth, even though often people don’t want to hear it. You are ambassadors for the animals and give them a voice and some hope! Keep up the good work, I’m inspired.