Andy | Archives | Animal Writes | PETA.org.uk

Andy Read - Voice of the Vegan Youth

Although he has felt compassion towards animals for as long as he can remember, when he was 15, Andy stumbled across PETA's fur campaign and, after completing a series of internet searches, decided to drop meat from his plate.

Since finishing his GCSEs, he has been an active campaigner for the rights of animals in laboratories, in circuses, on farms and in fashion.

When not helping animals, Andy spends his time working on a degree in European theatre arts, which he describes as a "posh collection of words for acting".

He loves walking in the countryside, cooking and spending time in his hometown of Portsmouth. His guilty pleasures include watching musicals, visiting art galleries and maintaining a huge crush on Fearne Cotton.
  • 22
  • Aug

Go Fresher – Go Vegan!

It’s that time of the year again – thousands of students will be starting or returning to university and kicking off the term with a fun-filled fresher frenzy to settle in. But before the madness begins, here are a few handy fresher tips from an old and wise third-year:

  1. Now is the perfect time to go vegan! Now that you’re cooking and shopping for yourself, you can make sure that your cart is cruelty-free. Remember: vegetables are cheaper than meat, so your loan should stretch easily if you’re careful. When other

… Read more.


  • 02
  • Feb

I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan!

© iStockPhoto / dmbaker

Being vegan when you’re eating out is easy. Take a quick stroll down almost any high street in the UK, and you will find a plethora of bars, restaurant chains and fast-food joints that already have vegan options on their menu or items that can be quickly adapted by asking the server to hold the mayo or cheese.

Whenever we buy food, we’re casting a powerful vote with our money. I encourage all vegans to eat out at places that have predominantly been… Read more.


  • 20
  • Dec

Have a Veggie Merry Christmas!

© iStockPhoto / sylvanworks

I love Christmas! This is the second year I have lived in London and been able to experience all the festivities – the lights on Regent Street, the brilliant decorations on Carnaby Street, the chestnut sellers on Tower Bridge – shall I go on? Because I can, trust me!

But, of course, there is a sadder side to Christmas. More animals are killed to be eaten on Christmas Day than for any other day of the year. Turkeys, geese, pigs, chickens – the… Read more.


  • 19
  • Nov

‘Drinking Responsibly’ Can Have Another Meaning

© iStockPhoto.com / MarkSwallow

There is a problem with alcohol in the UK: alcoholic-drink manufacturers don’t have to specify all the ingredients in their drinks, and even when they do, they use descriptions that can disguise what is going down your throat on a night out.

They also don’t have to mention if their filtration process is vegan. For example, lots of beers and wines are filtered to remove sediment. Some lagers are filtered through proteins found in a cow’s stomach. Wine is sometimes passed through… Read more.


  • 11
  • Aug

Pigging Clever

© iStockPhoto.com / THEPALMER

It isn’t surprising that scientists recently “discovered” that pigs have feelings. All the undercover footage PETA has accumulated over the years of animals on factory farms and in laboratories makes it clear that animals feel pain and suffer just as we do. Many of us knew it all along, but it’s still great to see this fact printed in the pages of a major daily newspaper.

When I was 16, I made the compassionate decision to stop eating meat.… Read more.


  • 03
  • Aug

Not All Animals Are ‘Party Animals’

© iStockPhoto.com / NadejaReid

I’m no party pooper, but I was horrified to read about the party bloopers that London Zoo is planning for each weekend this month.

Those of us who share our homes with an animal companion already know how easily animals can become frightened by loud noises, flashing lights and crowds of strange people. So whoever came up with the idea of hosting a “silent disco” – a party in which attendees wear headphones to listen to music whilst they dance around – at London… Read more.


  • 23
  • Jul

Foot Bull

© iStockPhoto.com / zentilia

In case you haven’t heard (and if you haven’t, where have you been?), Spain is the new proud winner of the World Cup. Everyone at PETA UK has been going football crazy this season, but there is one sport still carried out in Spain that really drives us mad!

I’m talking about bullfighting – not that it can in any way actually be called a “sport” or even a “fight”, for that matter. From the moment a bull is selected to… Read more.


  • 15
  • Jul

Happy Animals, Happy Kids

© iStockPhoto.com / yuriz

Earlier this week I saw some video footage which broke my heart. Having volunteered for animals for years now, I’m becoming hardened to the things I see, but this was upsetting in so many ways.

It was a YouTube video which someone had recorded at a British circus during the 2010 season. All the footage was from the ring, what the circus were proud for you to see. It was distressing. I won’t link to it here, but there are plenty of videos… Read more.


  • 13
  • Jul

Buffing Up

© iStockPhoto.com / VikramRaghuvansh

I’m buffing up. I’ve bought some lovely vegan running shoes (because cows are cool and killing them is cruel), and so far this week, I’ve already run 11 miles. I feel great! I wonder if I could say the same if I was weighed down with all the fat a meat-eater has in their diet?

I eat a healthy and varied vegan diet, so I know that I’m getting everything I need without any of the negative effects and health risks… Read more.


  • 08
  • Jul

No Holiday for Animals

© iStockPhoto.com / damircudic

If you’re like me, you’ve finished Uni or college for the year. You’ll finally have loads of free time to do something excellent for animals. Remember: animals on factory farms, on fur farms, in laboratories and in circuses all around the world don’t get a summer holiday.

There are a million and one ways you can help animals this summer, and one of the best things about the struggle for animal rights is that there is something for you no matter what your… Read more.


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