Question: I'm so sorry to bother when you are so busy but I am doing a biography about you in my science class in San Diego Carmel Valley middle school. I am in 8th grade and I just want to say that you are so inspirational and I hope that I will be able to work with animals just like you when I am older. I hope that in the future all of us animal lovers will be able to solve problems like animal cruelty. I watched some videos and I saw the most horrible video of people slaughtering horses and dogs for meat.  It was sooo gruesome and I just got so angry and broken.

Answer: Hi.  I am glad you wrote to me.  I think the hardest thing for those of us who are wired to love animals is to deal with those who don't!  I believe that every human is capable of feeling compassion toward animals - including each other - it's just that we don't always show it.  There are many reasons for this sad situation, including famine, poverty, war, and greed.  But I also think it's up to us who naturally love animals to take the time to explain to others why we care, and take action to show it. 

Whether you become a veterinarian or a steward of your local nature center or the absolute best pet owner you can be, you are helping the animal world.  Since the health of one species impacts another, if you live a healthy life and treat the envirnoment in a healthy way, you are also helping animals.  In this way, there are hundreds of ways you can help take care of the animal world.  The more positive actions we take on their behalf, the better chance we have of offsetting the negative things that happen to them.