Why I Love Working at PETA Asia
Robert, as PETA's "cow", hard at work!
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Originally from Perth, Australia, my family left the “big smoke” for greener pastures when I was 10 years old. We settled in rural Victoria, on what could only be described as a hobby farm. As an avid animal lover my whole life, I relished the chance to interact with different kinds of animals.
We bought a 5-hectare property outside Ballarat, which was home to sheep, cows, chickens, ducks, and even guinea fowl. Our sheep were shorn each summer to keep them cool, but there was no mulesing whatsoever as my dad described it as “barbaric.” Our cows were like big dogs, who’d bound toward us happily in the hope of being fed some carrots. The chickens and ducks would follow us around like noisy shadows while the guinea fowl were always in attack mode.
It wasn’t until a few years later that I realized that these friends with whom I shared my home were the same as the animals wrapped up and garnished with sprigs of parsley in the meat section of my local supermarket. My awakening happened suddenly, while visiting at the next door neighbor’s house. A car pulled up, towing a small white trailer. Instantly, the neighbor’s deer scattered throughout the paddock. Moments earlier, they were being hand-fed hay; now they were leaping and bounding as if their lives depended on it. Unfortunately, they did.
I watched the hunter as he kneeled down with his rifle and peered through the scope. A deafening crack broke out, and a young buck fell from the pack. He twitched and jerked on the grassy knoll for a few agonizing moments before giving up. It is said that animals have a heightened sense of smell, that they are even able to smell fear in the air. As the sharpshooter strutted across the paddock to butcher the carcass, the deer were clearly terrified. I could no longer separate the animals in the paddock from those on the plate. I went vegetarian.
After that, I heard rumors and mistruths about PETA US. I heard that PETA US members pour red paint on people who wear fur, and want to ban people from having pets. Not content with accepting hearsay as fact, I researched these claims. Everything that I had heard was a lie, and I was blown away by the dedication and achievements that this group had made in 20 years. I became a member. Almost 10 years later, I saw a PETA Asia job opening in Manila. I applied and got the job.
What’s great about working at PETA Asia is that you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals. There’s no irritating questions from coworkers, such as “Where do you get your protein?” and “Aren’t you anemic?” While my mother is worried that constant exposure to cruelty to animals will depress me, I look at it quite differently. Whether I worked at PETA Asia or not, these terrible things would still occur, but working here gives me the opportunity to do something about them.
I can safely say that this is the only job I’ve had where I’m actually happy to go to work on Monday mornings. I know that what I do actually makes a difference for animals worldwide, and causes don’t come much more noble than speaking up for those who need our voices. If you love animals and care about their future, you’ll love working here too.
Posted by Robert Fry
