I was taken to a hatchery at 9 and saw all the chicks being gassed and suffocated. I went vegetarian in 1980 but didn’t put the full story of animal suffering together until around 1985. I was at a vegan picnic when I said "I don’t eat animals" but I was drinking milk in my English tea and someone said “You don’t kill animals to eat you just abuse and exploit them”. As soon as I was alone in my car driving away from the event my conscience knew and wouldn’t allow me to continue to financially support egregious cruelty I had not “ seen “ until his comment. He became my best friend really and we are still friends to this day and fellow activists 38 years later.