Kindness to Animal-People: Children’s Book Author Heather Leughmyer (vegan), Part 2 of 2

“I always fight for the animals, but it’s kind of changed, the way I do it. I guess that’s where the writing comes in, is the planting the seeds.” Heather Leughmyer’s books educate not only children but also the adults who purchase them. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)’s TeachKind is a program that emphasizes the importance of imparting empathy and compassion for animal-citizens in schools. “I would love to see all my books in their TeachKind program. But I have taken my books to a couple of elementary schools, and a library, and read to children. And actually, I took my rat with me as well because I was reading the ‘Adopting Adele’ story. They’re wonderful little beings. The kids were very enthralled. And they had questions, and they were very much engaged in the whole thing.”

Heather Leughmyer’s poetry collection, “If Your Tears Were Human,” deals with the heavy and emotional topic of animal-people’s suffering. “Being an activist, I’m always reading things and seeing things on a daily basis that just crush me. I really hope that when people are reading them, that they’re feeling the feelings and emotions that I felt and that the animals felt. So I want people to maybe make more compassionate choices.” Let’s listen to an excerpt of Heather Leughmyer’s poem titled “Vermin.” “Egos so enlarged like we’re the only life on earth. We wear synthetic smiles to simulate concern. Excessively consuming as your ecosystems burn.” “I really hope people will eventually start opening their eyes, opening their hearts, and just making dietary changes that are so crucial to not only the animals, but the planet.”