The day of this ‘epic activist adventure’ starts off differently than I had imagined.  I find myself at midnight walking across fields, climbing barbed wire fences and into the manure pits of a battery hen farm on the way to Canberra.  We find four hens alive and one dead in the manure pits, in the first 5 minutes we are there.  She is covered in sticky faeces, the beautiful hen that I take into my arms.  Each of the other activists takes a hen as well and we prepare them for a new life of freedom.

Yes I am exhausted when I wake up, but it’s a nice exhausted. 

Wayne and I manage to get to the RSPCA Million Paws walk in time for the 11am start.  It is a huge fundraising event where humans and their doggy companions participate in a long walk, RSPCA hold them all over Australia.  Animal Liberation ACT is there with a ‘pig’, two ‘cows’ and two ‘chickens’ handing out GoVeg Leaflets.  Lefki, Shiney, Wayne and I participate in the walk.  I am really impressed with the feeling, it is lively and happy, I can’t help but feel excited by how the dogs are all so happy to interact with each other and meet so many other dogs.  Most are friendly, the sun is shining and it really such a lovely day out.

We check out the start line and the tents available and I chat to one of the organisers.  I let her know whilst I love the day and purpose; I am disappointed about the lack of availability of vegan food.  After all RSPCA represent all animals and that includes farm animals.  It would be great if the respect they show to dogs and cats could be extended to other farm animals.  The eggs they use are free range they tell me, but they not sure about the bacon.  Disappointing.  I arrange to send details of great vegan food option stalls for next year- so people can extend kindness to all animals, and still enjoy tasty healthy food options.  We make our way back to the rest of the crew.  Wayne and Shiney have a great sniff and say hello to many dogs.  The animal lib guys have distributed over 1000 Go vegan leaflets to the participants in the walk, yeahh.

We spend the rest of the day getting organised for the animals’ embassy tent that starts tomorrow.  I peak a look the boxes donated from Vegan perfection, I have never seen so many yummy vegan chocolates, and goodies – thanks guys J.