I Love Animals, But I’m Not Vegan — And That’s an Uncomfortable Truth

 Today is National Animal Rights Day.

And instead of posting slogans or pretending to have perfect answers, I want to write something honest.

Something uncomfortable.

Something I have been thinking about for years.

I care deeply about animals.

But I am not vegan.

I eat non-veg.

And for a long time, I struggled to understand whether these two things can exist together.

This journey started long before today

If you know me personally, you probably know one thing:

I care a lot.

Sometimes too much.

Whether it is helping people, thinking about the environment, or trying to support someone who is struggling—I have always been emotionally invested in things bigger than myself.

Almost 5–6 years ago, I became deeply interested in social work.

I wanted to help underprivileged children.

I wanted to plant trees.

I wanted to improve society.

I even imagined starting an NGO one day.

But among all these things, animals always felt different.

More personal.

Especially dogs.

Why dogs mean so much to me

Growing up, there were always dogs around my home.

Not “pets.”

Street dogs.

But over time, they stopped feeling like random animals.

I knew them.

I recognized their behavior.

I could tell when one was hungry, injured, or scared.

Without realizing it, I built an emotional connection.

And maybe that is why even today, whenever I see an injured dog or cat, something inside me reacts immediately.

I cannot ignore it.

I have helped many animals over the years—feeding them, protecting them, or simply caring when nobody else seemed to.

That feeling never left.

Then came the difficult questions

Around 2021–2022, I started watching content around veganism, animal cruelty, ethics, and environmental awareness.

I watched creators discussing uncomfortable truths.

Questions started forming in my mind:

If animals feel pain, what responsibility do we have?

What counts as unnecessary cruelty?

Can we really ignore suffering just because something is normalized?

These ideas stayed with me.

And eventually, I decided to try changing.

I tried becoming vegetarian.

Then vegan.

Honestly, I really tried.

For almost two months.

But I failed.

The part nobody talks about honestly

My body started feeling weak.

My routine changed.

I struggled physically.

Eventually, I stopped.

And to be honest, I felt guilty.

Because deep down, I still cared about animals.

I still believed suffering matters.

But my actions and beliefs did not perfectly match.

And maybe this is where life becomes complicated.

Because human beings are complicated.

So why am I writing this today?

Because today, I participated in National Animal Rights Day activities.

And it made me think.

A lot.

Some people may believe you can only care about animals if you are vegan.

I disagree.

Do I think reducing cruelty matters?

Yes.

Do I think unnecessary suffering should stop?

Absolutely.

Do I think we should become more conscious of our consumption?

Definitely.

But do I think everyone suddenly becomes perfect overnight?

No.

Real change is slower than social media makes it look.

What I believe today

I don’t think compassion should depend on labels.

You can be imperfect and still care.

You can have contradictions and still want to improve.

You can fail and still try again.

For me, the biggest lesson is this:

Cruelty should never become normal.

Whether it is toward animals, people, or the environment.

Because everything is connected.

The way we consume.

The way we treat living beings.

The way we think about responsibility.

All of it matters.

Maybe the first step is enough for now

I don’t have perfect answers.

I am still learning.

Still questioning.

Still trying to understand where I stand.

But one thing feels clear:

The first step matters.

Maybe today the first step is awareness.

Maybe tomorrow it becomes action.

Maybe one day it becomes real change.

But nothing changes if we stop caring.

And maybe that is the whole point.

Not perfection.

Just becoming a little more aware.

A little more compassionate.

A little more human.

— Aman Kumar Happy