Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian or meat-eater, nobody wishes to see barnyard friends suffer. Here are some books that gathers together everyone who cares for animal welfare, to help a world rife with factory farming. Let’s collectively help those without a voice.
Although farmed animals do get some protection from the law in certain countries (you can report concerns), it’s never enough. Read more about how to help our fabulous farm sanctuaries, and view the barnyard friends tag, to find more help by species.
Gene Baur co-founded Farm Sanctuary, the world’s most popular sanctuary for abused farm animals, with sanctuaries on the east and west coast of the USA. It began when he and Lorri Houston found and rescued a live sheep from a pile of dead animals, during an investigation. Hilda went on to live a happy life for 10 years, and the sanctuary would not have began without her story.
Earthling Ed is founder of vegan fast food chain Unity Diner, and uses profits to fund Surge Sanctuary, which is fast turning into a similar story. Ed used to live on KFC so often while at university that the staff knew him by name. He went vegan after seeing a lorry of crashed chickens on the road, and now is one of the world’s most popular and knowledgable campaigners for farmed animal welfare.
Allowed to Grow Old is a lovely compilation of photographs of animals rescued from the meat industry. Most farm animals are usually slaughtered before their 1st birthday, and often we have no idea what they would look like, if they grew to their natural age. Isa Leshko shows us here, spending hours with her new friends as she gained their trust and put them at ease, before taking wonderful images of fortunate animals who are allowed to age on their own terms. Each portrait includes a brief biographical note – from Teresa (a 13-year old Yorkshire pig) to Melvin (an 11-year old Angora goat) and Tom (a 7-year old white turkey).
the story of Compassion in World Farming
Roaming Wild is the story of how the charity CIWF (Compassion in World Farming) was founded. It’s not a vegan charity, but was in fact founded by concerned dairy farmers, and has gone onto achieve huge milestones like banning fur farming and sow crates in the UK and educating on which labels to trust, and which food labels are rubbish (created by companies to ‘greenwash’ the public).
Anna and Peter started the world’s most successful animal welfare charity from a back room with few funds. Both born in the 1920s, they lived through World War II and married in the 1950s, then worked as dairy/chicken farmers in rural Hampshire. After going vegetarian, they became aware of cruel battery egg and broiler systems, so set up a charity to help all farmed animals, believing everyone (no matter what their diet) would support them – and they did.
From challenging EU legislation to battling corporate giants like McDonald’s, this is a truly inspiring story of one humble couple, who decided they would try to help animals. They even challenged the British Royal Family to go free-range and also put animal welfare on the agenda of all major political parties.
Their most famed case was against an order of Catholic monks who were raising veal calves in crates not big enough to turn around in (Jesus would not be pleased). They actually lost the case, but the resulting furore led to the banning of veals crates in the UK. An ‘ordinary couple with an extraordinary mission’, this book is also a story of 50 years of love. Written by their granddaughter.
how to make a big difference for animals
The Impactful Vegan is a very important book, that not only looks at how living a plant-based life can help animals the world over, but the author is also not shy from saying where the vegan world gets it wrong. It says for instance that it’s vital we support for-profit vegan food companies in the corporate world to bring the lifestyle mainstream (as long as items are not full of palm oil and wrapped in plastic). But also that shoving leaflets through people’s doors of abattoirs is not the way to go about things. There is obviously a need for undercover investigations, but traumatising people who are eating a bacon sandwich by showing them harsh realities is not the way.
Keeping positive and offering up alternative possibilities (La Vie vegan bacon in stores!) is. How do we help animals best? Charitable donations or volunteer work? Dining at vegan restaurants? Taking a Meatless Monday? Should we support meat companies that sell vegan products to mainstream eaters (that the small indie companies can’t reach?) Or should we not support them, because their profits may help the meat industry? This book has the answers, to teach you how to audit your impact and follow methods that have been evaluated, to see which do most good. He also covers choosing career choices that align with your values, and how influencers can build brands to promote the vegan lifestyle.
Robert Cheeke is a trusted vegan activist and motivational speaker. He grew up in Oregon (US) and went vegan age 15, weighing just 120 pounds (less than 9 stone). Today he is a natural bodybuilding champion and referred to as ‘the godfather of vegan bodybuilding’. He lives in Colorado with his wife and two rescued Chihuahuas!
If you want it to be, your heart can be your biggest and most powerful muscle in your body. Robert Cheeke
how to thrive as a vegan environmentalist
Vegan Minded is by a woman who after reading a book about the horrid factory-farming industry, wondered how others live vegan in a world that is set up for people who eat meat. She just wants to fit in and belong, but how do you do that when you (secretly) know that it’s wrong to eat animals (for them, the planet and ethics/health) but don’t want to cause any issues.
Covering diets to dating and climate change to peaceful activism, this book circles the world through a vegan lens, addressing everything from animal protection and environmental ethics to human rights and culture. Find steps you can take to change the world, and quietly leave a legacy of compassion.
how artists are helping animal welfare
The Art of Compassion is the first book of its kind, a collection of heartwarming and awakening art from 80 vegan artists from around the world. Through the power of art and literature, this book aims to empower animal welfare campaigners and a compassionate lifestyle.
The 180 art pieces are accompanied by in-depth artist interviews (20) and 7 touching poems. The perfect coffee table books, and all proceeds go to support Veganuary, to help people make the switch. Leigh Sanders was born and raised in South Africa, and now lives with her Catalan husband in Spain, where the light and colours of the Mediterranean inspire and make her soul sing. She is founder of this international vegan art collective.
The Art of Compassion Oracle is a beautifully illustrated 100-card deck featuring illustrations from 53 artists in 18 countries, designed to strengthen our spiritual connection to the animal world. Each card offers a message on the reverse, so you don’t need to refer to a booklet. Just pull a card for the day or work with various spreads. All those involved are members of the Art of Compassion Project, with all proceeds helping organisations to spread the vegan message.
the compassionate art of Chantal Kaufmann
Chantal Kaufmann is a Swiss artist who uses her God-given talent for art to help animals, focusing mostly on barnyard friends. You can purchase art from her Etsy shop and this helps her to have the freedom to support organisations that use her art to help animals worldwide. The range includes screen-printed cotton grocery totes, ideal for when you are stocking up on groceries at the the indie health shop!
