My name is Jessica Davis and I reside in Malibu CA. I sometimes think I am just a full-time animal rescuer but I have a corporate job as a Regional Manager for a marketing company. That job feeds my bank while animal advocacy feeds my soul. It’s a good balance. I am the co-founder of Rock and Roll Rescues a dog rescue on its way to becoming a nonprofit. We specialize in saving the extremely urgent cases in the shelters. We just pulled a dog who underwent a full mastectomy and another dog who will need its leg amputated due to a deformity. We like the oddballs and the ones that need us the most!
What was the moment you realize that you wanted to go vegan?
I was vegetarian for about 8 years and then started to realize that the dairy and egg industry was just as bad as the meat. Then one day I Realized I was still hurting animals even though I wasn’t eating their flesh. I then decided to go vegan and have been vegan for about 6 years now.
How long have you been Vegan?
6 years
Why is being Vegan important to you?
I do not want to participate in any part of hurting an animal and in this day in age and you don’t have to either. There are many options for us to avoid animal products. If you ask most people. they will say they love animals. Yet satisfying their hunger is a fundamental drive and meat has been on the menu for a long time. It takes an enlightened person to be able to break the social norm, step outside the box, re-evaluate why eating some animals is considered horrid while others are considered the norm. To then go the extra mile and make a change based on new beliefs that all beings are sentient, not just the ones that you have been programmed to think so. Thank you to all the free thinkers out there who are now making veganism more mainstream!
Any recommended Vegan books?
Skinny Bitch was a great book and highlighted the horrid of the dairy industry. Another great book is Alicia Silverstone’s the Kind Diet. Not only did it provide statistics and facts about the harmful effects on both animals and the human body from eating meat and dairy but it also provided a ton of great recipes!
Any recommended social sites, Facebook Groups or other?
Two Vegan Girls of course! 🙂 This is mine and Lora’s site for not only hot cruelty-free looks and clothes but also the best vegan restaurants to try.
Do you actively promote veganism?
I’m quite social on social media. My Instagram name is @compassionatelifestyle and I only promote animal rights causes, vegan food, recipes, cruelty-free clothes etc. I’m also an animal activist so I also attend a lot of protests. Most of the time it’s a peaceful protest while educating the public on animal rights issues and veganism. Any chance I get really.
What is the vegan stereotype you hear the most and how do you respond to it?
That vegans can’t ever eat anything. It’s such a misconception. I go to restaurants all the time with friends and family and I am able to find something I can eat! We have it great in Los Angeles with all these amazing all vegan restaurants however at any restaurant there is something for vegans. But I do travel a lot and love trying new vegan foods all around the world! If something isn’t on the menu, you just have to ask! That vegans can’t ever eat anything. It’s such a misconception. I go to restaurants all the time with friends and family and I am able to find something I can eat! We have it great in Los Angeles with all these amazing all vegan restaurants however at any restaurant there is something for vegans. But I do travel a lot and love trying new vegan foods all around the world! If something isn’t on the menu, you just have to ask!
What’s your favorite Vegan restaurant?
Crossroads Kitchen. It’s the right amount of decadent foods mixed with a classy upscale ambiance! I even got engaged there!
Please share your favorite vegan recipe?
I like simple foods that nourish the body so I would have to say my favorite recipe is my vegetable lentil soup. I use red lentils and a ton of veggies so it’s the perfect portion of protein/fiber and carbs!
Some encouraging words for new Vegans?
Take it slow! I think many people make this commitment to go vegan and they often get overwhelmed and give up. Start out by cutting out things slowly. One week give up an animal product. Then, as soon as you know you are almost there! I also think it’s helpful to be around supportive people. Join a vegan group on FB! Attend vegan toastmasters! You will meet people on the same mission as you.
What does living cruelty-free mean to you?
Living cruelty-free to me means not contributing any harm to any animals. Its really that simple. I am a co-founder of a dog rescue called Rock and Roll Rescues and we specialize in dogs that have medical issues or seniors and when I am fostering and rehabilitating the dogs we pull I see so much love in their eyes and soul and the are no different than a pig, rabbit, or chicken. All animals feel pain, they feel the excitement, they experience fear. They are all living beings and I never want to contribute to anything hurting or dying for me.
What are you favorite Vegan non-food products or companies?
I love the Matt and Nat handbags and shoes! I love high fashion and I think they are an incredible company that represents that you can still be fashionable in a cruelty-free way! Stella McCartney is another favorite brand bc Stella is a fierce woman who is true to her conviction no matter what the competition around her.
What is the toughest Vegan item to find that you need?
hoes shoes shoes! I love shoes and it is so hard to find gorgeous leather-free shoes.
Talk about a time when you struggled with your Veganism?
The only time I have struggled with veganism is when I first went vegan and couldn’t find a pair of darn shoes that were cruelty-free. When I first went vegan I would think to myself….I can be vegan and still wear leather right? I had to talk myself off the ledge! lol, Now I don’t even think twice. If I see a shoe that has leather I don’t even entertain the idea of purchasing it. To me, vegan means living cruelty-free all the way around. I know many vegans though still wear leather, wool fur etc. But I went vegan for the animals and not for my health so I guess that’s why I take it a step further.
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