Lately, I’ve felt the weight of grief pressing down on me. Not just sadness, but a deep ache that comes from witnessing the cruelty baked into our food system. Animal agriculture, by its very design, causes immense suffering. There are days when I wonder what more I can do. But instead of shutting down, I’ve made a promise to myself: I will turn this pain into purpose. If I do nothing, I become part of the silence. And silence helps no one, least of all the animals.
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From Grief to Resolve
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In moments of doubt, I turn to the teachings of Phil Stutz. He reminds us that life is hard, the future is uncertain, and progress is made through ongoing effort. It’s not about
perfection, it’s about perseverance. That message hits home. When the scale of animal suffering feels overwhelming, I remember that the measure of who we are is not in what we avoid, but in how we show up. Giving up is not an option. Silence is not an option.
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People need to wake up and I will keep sounding the alarm.
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The Hidden Reality of Animal Agriculture
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Factory farming is a system that thrives on hidden suffering. Billions of animals are confined in cages, mutilated without pain relief, and killed at a fraction of their natural lifespan. We are told this is normal. That it is necessary. That it is humane. But none of this is true. We hide behind comforting phrases like “humane slaughter” and “free range” to ease our conscience. Yet the reality remains the same. These animals suffer for food choices we do not actually need to survive.
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It’s time to face the truth. Once we know better, we have a responsibility to do better.
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Lessons From History
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We are not the first movement to fight injustice. Look at what happened with tobacco. For decades, the industry buried facts, manipulated public opinion, and silenced critics. But advocates kept pushing until the truth came out. Groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving changed national laws and cultural norms by refusing to accept the status quo. These movements succeeded because they turned pain into purpose. We must do the same.
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The animal rights movement is growing, but we need to harness more emotion, more urgency, and more relentless focus. That is how change happens.
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Rethinking Our Priorities
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Let’s be honest. Are we putting our energy in the right places? Is slightly improving the lives of animals who are still going to be slaughtered really a win? Or is it just a way to feel better without creating real change? What if we redirected that energy toward plant-based innovation or cellular agriculture? What if we made cultivated meat affordable, accessible, and mainstream? That kind of shift could end the cruelty at its root.
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Change begins when we stop accepting crumbs and start demanding transformation.
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Horses: The Forgotten Victims
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When people think of animal agriculture, they often picture cows, pigs, and chickens. Rarely do they think about horses. Yet tens of thousands of American horses are sent to slaughter each year. Many were once beloved companions or working animals. Now they are sold at auctions, often to kill buyers, and shipped across borders under horrifying conditions. They are denied food and water. They are terrified. And they are slaughtered for meat that is exported to overseas markets.
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This practice continues even though horse slaughter is banned in the United States. It continues even though most Americans oppose it. The
system is broken. We owe it to these animals to fight harder and demand a federal ban that ends this trade once and for all.
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A Call to Action
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This moment is a crossroads. We can turn away, or we can turn toward the work. Change is not comfortable. It is not convenient. It requires us to speak up, show up, and never stop trying. Our legacy will not be measured by how easy we made our lives. It will be measured by how hard we fought for those who could not fight for themselves.
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If you are reading this, I invite you to take action. Support plant-based innovation. Advocate for policy reform. Speak out against cruelty. Volunteer at a sanctuary. Share the truth with others.
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The Road Ahead
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Together, we can create a world where the abuse of animals for profit is a thing of the past. It will not happen overnight. It will take time, passion, and persistence. But it will happen. We just have to keep going. Let’s use our heartbreak as fuel. Let’s build a future that reflects compassion, not convenience.
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Because once you know the truth, you cannot unsee it. The question is, what will you do now?
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For more stories, interviews, and actions that support a better life for animals, visit www.BetterLifeForAnimals.com. Let’s turn compassion into change, together.
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About Cheryl Moss
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Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she is dedicated to ending factory farming and is working to raise $100,000 for Mercy For Animals to support underrepresented sanctuaries.
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Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she promotes plant-based living through her books—Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig—which inspire young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
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When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, show jumping, and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
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https://www.facebook.com/BLFAnimals/
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
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