Seeking to create a much kinder future for all animals, The Vegan Society has created the first official Future Normal Day (9 April).
After a year in lockdown the world is starting to open back up. Restaurants are gearing up to offer takeaways, pubs are getting ready to open their beer gardens and the rule-of-six means you can finally meet up with friends and family outdoors. Everyone is ready to embrace what has become known as the ‘new normal’. But what does the ‘new normal’ really look like?
Whether it is companion animals such as dogs, cats or rabbits or farmed ones like cows, sheep, pigs and chickens the reality is hundreds of thousands of animals are kept locked up, isolated and alone, in terrible, cramped or unhygienic conditions.
Every year in the UK alone around 2.6 million cattle, 10 million pigs, 14.5 million sheep and lambs, 80 million fish and more than 950 million chickens, ducks and geese are slaughtered for human consumption.[1]
Due to the nature of the national lockdowns, many people have for the first time experienced a taste of what it must be like to be trapped indoors or miles away from our friends and family. And while the country is ready to get its freedom back, this is far from the reality for many animals.
Future Normal Day is asking people to reflect on their behaviours and consider going vegan to bring them more in line with their existing values.
People can use #FutureNormalDay to upload pictures of their beloved rehomed, rescued or adopted animals on social media, while on Facebook at 9am on 9 April, the society, along with some incredible vegan celebrity presenters – will be hosting the first ever Future Normal Hero Awards – a celebration of those in the community who have gone above and beyond for animals.
Mark Banahan, spokesperson for Future Normal Day, said: "We’ve all just spent a year away from friends and family, stuck indoors or isolating from the virus. It’s no surprise that people are excited for things to get back to normal. But that isn’t the reality for a lot of animals.”
“If we’re open to making changes in our lives, the Future Normal is a place we can create. Being vegan simply means living in line with the ethics that so many of us already hold in our hearts. It is the single most effective way in which someone can protest the exploitation of animals everywhere.”
The Future Normal website contains ‘lightbulb moments’ of numerous vegans who have made the connection that so many animal lovers have the potential to achieve.
Visit www.futurenormal.org.uk to discover inspiring videos, articles, podcast episodes and more. Follow @ourfuturenormal on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.
