Dr. Will Tuttle, a former Zen monk and acclaimed author of The World Peace Diet, has dedicated over 45 years to a simple yet revolutionary idea: we can create a more peaceful, compassionate world by how we treat animals. His message? The path to global healing begins with the Golden Rule and the everyday choices we make – especially regarding animals.
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In his appearance on the Better Life for Animals Podcast, Dr. Tuttle explored how animal sanctuaries and vegan living offer a roadmap to reversing centuries of normalized exploitation.
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Animal Sanctuaries: Living Examples of Compassion
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Animal sanctuaries serve as vital visions of hope in a world where billions of animals are exploited each year. Dr. Tuttle emphasizes that sanctuaries are more than places of rescue – they are
catalysts for cultural transformation.
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Within these sanctuaries, rescued animals – cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and more – find refuge, healing, and safety. Here, animals who were once viewed as commodities are recognized as individuals deserving of care and respect. Sanctuaries model a different way of relating to animals: through kindness, connection, and nonviolence.
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The Ethical Disconnect: Why the Golden Rule Matters
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As Dr. Tuttle shares, the Golden Rule – treating others as we wish to be treated – is foundational to every major spiritual tradition yet often overlooked when it comes to animals. “We’re eating violence but yearning for peace,” he explains. The disconnection between our values and our habits fuels not just animal suffering, but societal issues like environmental destruction, injustice, and even war.
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Animal sanctuaries actively repair this disconnect. They provide a tangible example of what it looks like to live the Golden Rule – to extend compassion to all beings.
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How Herding Cultures Shaped Our Modern World
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Dr. Tuttle traces today’s exploitative food systems back to the rise of herding cultures 10,000 years ago. This shift, which marked the domestication of animals for food, led to hierarchies, war, and the oppression of both people and animals.
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Yet, sanctuaries are rewriting that story. They stand in direct opposition to the domination model by promoting empathy, cooperation, and interdependence with nature.
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Sanctuaries as Seeds for Cultural Change
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Every rescued animal story is a chance to awaken empathy in people who may have never questioned their relationship with animals. Dr. Tuttle highlights that sanctuaries plant seeds of change by inviting people to see animals as sentient beings with personalities, emotions, and a will to live.
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Visitors often leave sanctuaries transformed, feeling called to make more compassionate choices – whether adopting a vegan diet, supporting rescue work, or educating others.
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Why Supporting Animal Sanctuaries is Critical
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Sanctuaries depend on ongoing public support to provide food, medical care, and safe habitats for rescued animals. Every donation, volunteer hour, and share on social media helps sustain these lifesaving spaces.
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Dr. Tuttle reminds us that true change comes from grassroots efforts. By supporting sanctuaries, we help create ripple effects that extend into our communities, influencing food systems, environmental practices, and social justice movements.
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A Simple Answer to Complex Problems
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As Dr. Tuttle beautifully quotes, “While the problems are increasingly complex, the answers are embarrassingly simple.”
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The answer, according to him, is to live in alignment with compassion, reduce harm wherever possible, and reconnect with the earth and its creatures. By embracing veganism and uplifting animal sanctuaries, we take meaningful steps toward a sustainable, just, and peaceful future.
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Continue the Journey
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To explore more about Dr. Will Tuttle’s work and the transformational power of animal sanctuaries, visit worldpeacediet.com and betterlifeforanimals.com. Every action, no matter how small, helps build a world where all beings are valued.
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Episode Highlights
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[00:00] Introduction.
[03:45] The Golden Rule for all sentient beings.
[07:45] Herding mentality.
[11:25] Tools of war.
[14:00] Using intellect to create weapons of destruction.
[18:00] Society has normalized brutality.
[22:00] Love is the solution… love is the way.
[27:00] Self sustenance is the way.
[29:30] A life without pharmaceuticals.
[34:00] 1% controls most of the wealth while the majority struggle.
[36:00] Reconnecting to joy through spiritual practices.
[41:30] Slowing down to be fully present.
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About Dr. Will Tuttle
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Dr. Will Tuttle, visionary author, educator, and inspirational speaker, is the author of the acclaimed Amazon #1 best-seller The World Peace Diet, published in 17 languages. His newest book, Food for Freedom, explores the deep connections between food, health, and liberation, offering a powerful blueprint for personal and cultural transformation.
Over the past 40 years, Dr. Tuttle has presented the vegan and compassionate living message globally, delivering over 4,000 lectures in all 50 U.S. states and in 50 countries. A recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award and the Empty Cages Prize, he is also the author of Your Inner Islands: The Keys to Intuitive Living, and editor of Circles of Compassion: Essays Connecting Issues of Justice and Buddhism and Veganism: Essays Connecting Spiritual Awakening and Animal Liberation.
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Devoted to cultural healing and awakening, he is a former Zen monk and Dharma Master in the Zen tradition, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on educating intuition and altruism.
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Dr. Tuttle has taught college courses in creativity, humanities, religion, and philosophy, and is also an accomplished composer and concert pianist. His clear and inspiring presentations have been featured in influential documentaries such as Cowspiracy, A Prayer for Compassion, Vegan: Everyday Stories, and HOPE: What You Eat Matters. Together with his wife, visionary artist Madeline Tuttle, he travels extensively, sharing a message of kindness, music, and conscious living.
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Learn more about Dr. Tuttle’s books, events and other interviews at worldpeacediet.com
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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://x.com/betterlife4animhttps://x.com/betterlife4anim
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
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