What changes when we stop simply looking at animals and begin to truly see them? Writer, animal photojournalist, and activist Diana Hulet joins Cheryl Moss for a moving conversation about photography, vegan advocacy, animal sanctuaries, and the ethical responsibility that comes with witnessing the lives of animals.
Seeing Animals Differently
Diana shares how photography first became a way for her to quietly observe and connect with the natural world as a child. After decades of teaching yoga, meditation, and philosophy, she returned to the camera when she could no longer reconcile spiritual teachings about nonviolence with the exploitation of animals she saw around her.
Rather than reducing animals to statistics, Diana focuses on the individual. Her goal is to create images that invite people to stay, look into an animal’s eyes, and recognize a full life.
The Ethics of Animal Photojournalism
Diana and Cheryl explore the difficult ethical questions animal photojournalists face. How do you document suffering honestly without exploiting the animal again? How do you show the reality of confinement while preserving an animal’s beauty, dignity, and individuality? Diana explains why thoughtful writing is often essential to help viewers remain with difficult images instead of turning away.
Why Animal Sanctuaries Matter
Sanctuaries provide refuge for rescued animals, but their impact reaches much further. They educate children and families, show the public what safety and care can look like, and give advocates a place to restore their hearts after witnessing suffering.
Ahimsa and Engaged Advocacy
As a graduate student in engaged Jain Studies, Diana is exploring ahimsa, nonviolence, veganism, ecology, and advocacy. She discusses why contemplative practices should not be used to escape suffering, but to strengthen our ability to respond to it with steadiness and compassion.
The Power of Water and Connection
Diana explains the meaning behind her Substack, The Lateral Line, named for the sensory system fish use to feel movement and changes in the water around them. The name reflects both her sensitivity to the lives of animals and her hope that humans can move through a changing world with greater awareness, connection, and care.
A Simple Place to Begin
This conversation is an invitation to slow down, pay attention, and consider how our food, entertainment, spiritual practices, and daily choices affect other animals. Diana suggests going somewhere familiar, staying longer than usual, and observing the animals who are often overlooked.
About Diana Hulet
Diana Hulet is a writer, animal photojournalist, and activist based in Colorado. Her work explores the ethical and systemic relationships between humans, animals, and the natural world, using storytelling to inspire compassion and structural change. A regular contributor to We Animals, her work has also appeared in Vox, Species Unite, and The Empathy Project. She serves as Board Vice President of Sanctuary Doc and is pursuing an M.A. in Engaged Jain Studies with a concentration in Veganism, Animals, and Ecology.
Her ongoing project, What if We Saw Them, invites reflection on the visibility of animals within human systems, and she writes The Lateral Line on Substack. Diana is endlessly inspired by the depth and wisdom of her rescue pup, Lita.
writer | animal photojournalist | speaker
Portfolio
Social handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umadiana
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianahulet/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianahulet/
Substack: https://dianahulet.substack.com/
https://www.dianahulet.com/
About Cheryl Moss
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. She is also the founder of the Funding Blueprint for Sanctuaries summit, designed to empower those involved with sanctuaries to create sustainable funding streams.
A passionate advocate for animal welfare, Cheryl is dedicated to ending factory farming and supporting underrepresented sanctuaries.
Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she recently added Vystopia Transformation to her resume. The Vystopia work, created by psychologist Clare Mann, focuses on the emotional impact many people experience after becoming aware of animal suffering and exploitation. The training offers tools for resilience, communication, and emotional well-being while continuing to advocate for positive change.
Through her books, Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, Cheryl inspires young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates 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.
https://www.facebook.com/BLFAnimals/
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
