Activist Profile: Ryan Phillips, and Rocky Schwartz on The Microsanctuary Movement

Listen to this show here!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This show is dedicated to microsanctuaries and empowering animal advocates to make an impact via rescue and integrating animals into our lives. We can live in a society where people see non-human animals for the individuals who they are rather than unseen or spoken of “things” in the food system.

Rocky Schwartz, The Microsanctuary Movement

Rocky and Phoenix.

Our first interview is with Rocky Schwartz. She is a New York City-based rescuer, activist, and microsanctuary operator, as well as a board member of the non-profit group called The Microsanctuary Movement.

The Microsanctuary Movement is an initiative to help vegans rescue and care for farmed animals. It centers on a radical revisioning of “sanctuary” on a grassroots level, with the goal being to inspire and empower more people to use whatever resources they have available right now to provide safe, nurturing homes to non-humans who are typically seen only as commodities.

In this interview, Rocky tells us more about this revolution in how humans see and interact with farmed animals – and other animals, too. She provides advice on how you can rescue animals and start your own microsanctuary.

Activist Profile: Ryan Phillips and Life with Three Pigs, a Chicken and a Rabbit

“Animal rights are not a gift we give animals. They are a birthright we have taken from them.”

For our feature interview, we have Ryan Phillips on the show. He is a full-time animal activist who hails from Williamsburg, Virginia, and lives with 3 pigs, one chicken and a rabbit in a condo! This is his microsanctuary. He and his animal family are regularly out doing activism and raising awareness for animals. He takes out one or two of the animals to graze on grass in Colonial Williamsburg, while members of the public come by to meet Charlotte the pig or Beatrice the chicken. They are often left transformed, this perhaps being the very first time they have come into contact with an animal who they would normally consider as “food”.

Ryan calls his work “Life with Pigs“, which is dedicated to educating people about the injustices faced by animals and how we can better coexist with these fellow earthlings.  It operates under the guiding principle that animals are our equals and deserve equal consideration for their needs and desires.

In this incredibly inspiring interview, Ryan tells us about his journey to veganism and activism, and how he works relentlessly for a social justice cause that deeply compels him.

You can support Ryan’s full-time activism by making a contribution at his Patreon page here.

You can see the whole interview in this video here, in which Ryan speaks about his activism while Beatrice the chicken nestles with him. Also, meet Pumpkin the pig!