It all started with a pit bull named Leche.

People who don't eat meat are called vegetarians; those that don't bother with any animal products are vegans; and of course, now we have pescatarians, which I've always thought was silly but these are the people that only eat fish. I always wondered why they can't say I only eat fish and why we're so obsessed with labeling everything. But that's neither here nor there (Didn't I already blog about that?). What do you call someone who doesn't want to eat abused animal meat because they love their pit bull? Well, that's me. I love my pit and now I don't want to eat meat. Whattttt?

Let me back up. Leche walked into my life approximately a year and a half ago. Or rather, I walked into her life as she was the one sitting at the shelter waiting for a forever home. It wasn't love at first sight, she was a terribly cute pup but she seemed a little crazy (in that hyper, puppy sense) and I worried that she would be really hard to handle. But fate brought us together and out of the three shelters we visited, they were the only shelter to call us back and give us the amazing news aspiring parents want to hear: she's all yours.

And then there was no turning back. I fell in love with this ball of white fur in a way I had never fallen in love before. I know some of you must think I'm crazy but it's true- she is the love of my life and I'm not afraid to sound like one of those crazy dog people. I mean, I don't dress her in frilly sweaters (hearts for Valentine's Day, ornaments for Christmas, etc) or give her funky hair cuts so I feel that I'm still within the normal confines of mom-pup love.

But I am digressing. Pit bulls face an uphill battle. It's hard to imagine that a breed once so loved and cherished by Americans everywhere is now so poorly regarded by many people- mainly because of the bad press given to the breed by a few (not worth mentioning) individuals that used this loyal breed to dog fight for entertainment. And having newly fallen in love with the pit bull breed, I became very involved in the cause for justice for these wonderful dogs. I started reading about the abuse these poor pups faced (statistically, they are one of the most abused breeds) and the challenges owners, pit bull lovers, and animal activists face in trying to get justice for pits.

Then there was Patrick. I saw this article and took one look at his almost lifeless body- nothing but skin and bones- and I started crying. Really. Like a baby. How could anyone be so inhumane? So callous?

And this is where I made the leap. I started processing my thoughts. Thinking about how I can't stand for this sort of treatment of pits. Or any dog. Or any animal. It was both a slow process of realization and a sudden fire of thoughts and ideas- it was like the little light went off in my head and I thought back to the movie my bf made me watch (Food Inc.)- the images of all the poor chickens crammed into tiny little cages, living in their own waste and not even able to to flap their little wings (I realize they won't actually fly). And also the pigs and cattle living in similar situations all so I could get my beloved bucket of fried chicken or buffalo wings or juicy burger. How can I stand up against the mistreatment of pit bulls but condone the inhumane treatment of farm animals? If one animal is worth the fight, isn't the other? Don't get me wrong- I'm not getting all righteous and preachy and I do realize that there have been people saying this all along.

But this was something that hit me like a bus- realizing I was letting the abuse continue. That somehow I was saying it was different when in reality, I just don't see how cramming 100 chickens in a coup for 10 is any better than starving Patrick to the brink of death. And so I started rethinking my lifestyle. I don't have any problem with eating meat- I love a good piece of bacon and can't imagine giving up carnitas or even a good steak. So I can't be a vegetarian. Then what can I do?

I ask again- what do you call someone that only eats humanely raised meat? My answer: a dog lover. Because that's how this started for me. We already get our meat and milk delivered (most of the time) from a local farm but I discussed it with my boyfriend, told him about the struggle I've been having reconciling my thoughts and he was just happy I finally saw what he saw (because of course, he's always been enlightened :)). And so starting next week, our household will only consume meat or animal products (eggs, milk, etc) that come from farms with commitment to the ethical treatment of animals. That I can control. Eating out, however, is much harder. But this is phase one. Phase two will be me giving up some of my favorite foods (yes, that does include Popeyes) and opting to only eat meat from restaurants that subscribe to this same philosophy. It's a slow transformation but one I am firmly committed to and it all started with a pit bull named Leche.