Veterinarian and activist Dr. Crystal Heath has built a career on courage, conscience, and compassion. As the executive director of Our Honor, a nonprofit supporting veterinary students, veterinarians, and animal professionals who speak up for ethics and animal welfare, Dr. Heath is leading a movement to challenge long-standing industry practices.
A Los Angeles-based shelter veterinarian, Dr. Heath also serves on the board of LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals, and the Planet), an alternative to 4-H and FFA that helps youth become humane leaders. She is a founding member of Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown and was named one of Vox’s Future Perfect 50 for her groundbreaking work advocating for animals.
From 4-H to Animal Advocacy
Growing up in rural California, Dr. Heath was part of 4-H and surrounded by animals. But even as a child, she questioned the ethics of raising animals for slaughter. She chose instead to raise dairy goats and participate in projects like photography and horse care. Her compassion deepened when she discovered animal advocacy through PETA materials and began learning about vegan living.
Later, while studying veterinary medicine at UC Davis, she realized the extent to which the profession condoned many of the same systems of cruelty she had long questioned. Although she entered vet school hoping to work with horses, her experiences with the profit-driven racing industry pushed her toward shelter medicine, where she could directly save and heal animals instead of perpetuating their suffering.
Speaking Out Against Cruelty
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Heath learned about ventilation shutdown, a practice where pigs are sealed inside barns and exposed to lethal heat and steam when slaughterhouses cannot process them fast enough. When she voiced opposition, she faced backlash from within the veterinary community and industry groups.
Her public stance led to a smear campaign and professional ostracization, but it also sparked the creation of Our Honor, which now empowers veterinarians to uphold their ethics without fear of retaliation.
“Veterinarians are powerful voices,” says Dr. Heath. “When we speak out, people listen. When the public learns that our industry justifies these cruel methods, they want change.”
Inside Veterinary Education
Our Honor recently published a study in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education detailing how many animals are killed in veterinary training programs across the United States and Canada. The report highlights the need for transparency and ethical reform.
Dr. Heath believes that veterinary schools must end the use of animals purchased for dissection or experimentation. “Human medical schools stopped killing animals long ago. Veterinary schools can and should follow their lead,” she explains. Her vision is to see this practice eliminated within five years.
The Disconnect Within the Profession
Many assume veterinarians, by nature, are animal advocates. Yet, as Dr. Heath points out, a surprising number of professionals still consume animal products and support animal agriculture without questioning the contradiction.
“There’s a deep disconnect,” she says. “Even at conferences about sustainability and climate change, animal agriculture is often defended rather than challenged.” She argues that veterinarians have the power to influence public policy and reshape food systems, but that influence has too often been used to protect profit over compassion.
Supporting Whistleblowers and Reformers
Dr. Heath’s nonprofit, Our Honor, provides support to veterinarians who expose unethical practices or face retaliation for speaking up. She recalls one case involving the Alpha Genesis Laboratory, where poor conditions, broken climate controls, and animal escapes went unaddressed despite repeated internal reports.
“Our Honor helps these professionals find their voice,” says Dr. Heath. “Sometimes that means connecting them with journalists, validating evidence of cruelty, or helping them speak anonymously.” Her organization has been instrumental in exposing abuses at facilities such as Miami’s Seaquarium, which later lost its lease and declared bankruptcy following public outcry.
Advice for Future Veterinarians
When asked what she would tell aspiring veterinarians, Dr. Heath’s message is clear: “If you love animals, we need you. You can work inside the system to change it.”
She encourages students to view themselves as advocates, even when the path feels uncomfortable. “Activists risk their freedom to document the suffering you’ll witness in training. As a student, you have legal access. Use it to bear witness and create change.”
Looking Ahead
Dr. Heath envisions a future where veterinarians play a central role in dismantling animal-based food systems and promoting cruelty-free alternatives. Through policy reform, public education, and collaboration with sanctuaries and advocacy groups, she believes change is already underway.
“Our profession can drive the shift toward animal-free food and experimentation,” she says. “We are already seeing more awareness, more compassion, and more people questioning the status quo. That gives me hope.”
Get Involved
To learn more about Our Honor, visit www.OurHonor.org or follow @OurHonorVets on social media. Volunteers and supporters are always welcome, whether you are a writer, researcher, or advocate.
Dr. Heath also collaborates with LEAP and other organizations working to reform education and raise compassionate future leaders.
Episode Highlights
[00:00] Introduction
[03:00] From traditional veterinarian to animal advocate.
[07:30] The realization of mass animal extermination.
[10:00] Choices veterinarians often have to make that don’t align with their values.
[14:00] Unseen exploitation and cognitive dissonance.
[19:00] Supporting those who fear retaliation for bucking the system.
[23:00] Why people mistrust animal activists.
[26:00] Become a super hero to animals.
[30:00] How L.E.A.P. is making a difference.
[34:00] The reality of animal heat stress.
About Dr. Crystal Heath
Dr. Crystal Heath is a Los Angeles-based shelter veterinarian and the Executive Director of Our Honor, a nonprofit that supports veterinary students, veterinarians, and other animal professionals in speaking their conscience to create more ethical systems that consider the best interests of all species. She is also on the board of LEAP – Leaders for Ethics Animals and the Planet, known as the humane alternative to 4-H and FFA, which aims to transform today’s youth into the humane leaders of tomorrow who advocate for and work towards an equitable future for all living beings and the planet. Dr. Heath is also on the founding committee of Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown. Dr. Heath was named one of Vox’s 2023 Future Perfect 50, which honors the scientists, thinkers, scholars, writers, and activists working on solutions to today’s (and tomorrow’s) biggest problems.
https://www.ourhonor.org/
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. 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.
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.
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://x.com/betterlife4anim
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
