New Zealand legally recognises animals as sentient beings!

 A few weeks ago when I had my daily morning scroll through Instagram, I saw this post from Swedish animal rights organization, Djurens Ratt, saying that New Zealand legally recognises animals as sentient beings!

This is definately a step in the right direction. (A bit funny that I heard the news via a Swedish channel, when I am in the country where the positive change has been made)

Even though this is a fact that I and probably the majority of every other vegan and vegetarian feel is very obvious, it's a bit like - EH YEAH, THANKS FOR THE UPDATE SHERLOCK! I mean of course animals are sentient beings. It is a fact that animals has feelings and personalities.

But the reason why I think this decision is such a big deal is because it is putting the lives and rights of animals on the agenda, from a level that will reach more people. 

I do believe that to make a change happen, we have to change the way we speak about things because that is how we change the way we culturally think about things. If now, for instance, animals are legally recognised as sentient beings, if people start to talk about animals as sentient beings and not just as things for us humans to use, this will hopefully change the way a lot of people see animals. Because wouldn't it be way harder to eat something that you know has had feelings? 

If the word is now put out there in the spotlight, saying that animals can FEEL, I think it is going to be more difficult for meat eating people to justify their meat eating, or dairy drinking or cheese eating. You get the point. 

So go New Zealand for starting to climb the latter to a more vegan friendly mind set! I really hope other countries follow in its direction.