Susan Hargreaves empowers all ages to be heroes to all species of animals via her award-winning, interactive educational presentations, activism, speaking engagements, and writing. International and national media have lauded her over four decades-long work to stop animal cruelty.
Susan emigrated to the United States as a person of extraordinary ability in the field of humane education, a category reserved for Olympic athletes. She has received references and praise for her empathy-fostering work from Jane Goodall, Michelle Obama, Ingrid Newkirk, Joaquin Phoenix, and Paul McCartney.
Recently, Susan has joined forces with Shaun Monson, the acclaimed Earthlings filmmaker for an original short documentary entitled The Heart Whisperer.
Her recent Veganza Animal Heroes young adult novel and vegan guide debuted at number one in the New Release categories for young adults, teens and ecology on Amazon. The global tour was featured in international news media including Dublin Live News.
Photo Credit-Sean Russell Susan Hargreaves
Share your background as a 9-year-old witnessing the hatchery and what led you to launch Animal Hero Kids.
It was a full circle moment, returning to the exact same spot on this Earth 54 years later to the former hatchery site. When I was 9-year-old my Aunt Olwyn took me to her work, she was a receptionist there. Imagine my horror when I saw all the male chicks being gassed and suffocated after hatching on the conveyor belts. I looked to the adults in the warehouse to stop this cruelty and they continued to sort the male chicks from the females, their heads down, it was business as usual.
Today those same hatchery buildings have evolved into a multi-use community of 30 local businesses and not one of them are harming animals. My Aunt Olwyn once again drove me to the West Yorkshire spot nestled in the moors this summer, 54 years later. I was in my Veganza Animal Hero alter ego mode, she is one of the characters in my “Veganza Animal Heroes” book series. The children and the teachers at the nursery school on the former hatchery site were captivated. The children wore their own hero capes I brought with me on the global tour for interactive story times. Periodically, their young voices would ring out when cued “Veganza Animal Heroes to the Rescue” The teachers joined in the fun.
Returning to the site of my nightmares, this former hatchery that was filled with death fueled my lifelong activism, and the founding of the kindness education charity Animal Hero Kids was a form of positive proof for me. It is a testament to the change the world is capable of.
Animal Hero Kids organization and its goal of empowering others to kindness to all ethics have become a world phenomenon. You have recently adopted a dual name, why? What have you been up to in 2022?
It’s vital to get the message of being kind to all species of animals of all ages around the world, to help achieve this I initiated the “Be an Animal Hero” project. I have created an effective toolbox with new books and films geared to all ages and partnered with animal sanctuaries to help them reach their local school districts.
This year has seen the launch of the world’s first trio of vegan superhero novel series, which debuted number one in new releases on Amazon in the teens and ecology category, a fact I discovered as I was flying to meet other costumed characters from the book in London, England.
“The Heart Whisperer” is an original short documentary designed for teens and up age groups and the first claymation with vegan superheroes premiered in Los Angeles at Love Always Sanctuary to help fund our education partnership.
Courage the first vegan brown mermaid superhero in the “Veganza Animal Heroes“ series was inspired by a combination of Angela Means, the actor from the iconic movie “Friday” and Kimaya one of the eloquent youth in the animal hero crew.
The success of the World’s First Veganza Animal Heroes Global Tour https://www.animalherokids.org/worlds-first-veganza-animal-heroes-novel-tour/ was enervating and encouraging. I am so grateful to Korin Sutton AKA Freedom, the vegan superhero and Mitali Deypurkaystha, who played the role of Courage, and Sean Russell, our marketing documentarian for donating their time and goodwill for the tourRe-enacting the cover at Powerscourt Waterfall in Ireland Korin Sutton, Freedom, Susan Hargreaves, Veganza, Courage, Mitali Deypurkaystha.
Celebrities including Paul McCartney and Joaquin Phoenix are positive supporters of Animal Hero Kids, who else has joined forces with you?
The quote Paul McCartney kindly contributed to our campaign of recognizing proactive action is “It doesn’t matter how old you are, the good news is we can all help animals in need” Joaquin Phoenix has a cameo in “The Heart Whisperer” states we are not a nation who believes in cruelty to animals. He’s correct however many people are unaware of the animal abuse they’re funding. This is why I focus on education.
Jessica Chastain allowed us to use one of her quotes about being vegan in the “Animal Hero Kids Voices for the Voiceless” book. Maggie Baird, Billie Eilish’s mum, has appeared on our workshops posts. We partnered to feed vegan fare in Los Angeles with Maggie’s group Support and Feed and the Jackfruit Cafe, the vegan soul food restaurant of Angela Means.
John Salley, the four times NBA champion winner, helped me present the Paul McCartney Young Veg Advocate Award, too.
Celebrity support supersizes our reach, it’s priceless.
How exciting has AnimalHerotober been?
This is the first year the Veganza Vanza is in action bringing vegan fare samplings and the stories of Veganza Animal Heroes to group homes, domestic violence shelters, and family residential centers.
Brunna, one of the Animal Hero teens in Brazil, convinced a local restaurant to feature a vegan #animalherotober special. Khendall, another teen in Florida, and his mom treated his entire winning basketball team to a vegan celebration dinner. An 84-year-old woman who has been vegan for 30 years gathered her senior friends to try, for the first time, the vegan fare at a local family-run vegan restaurant.
People united in response to a severe animal cruelty case to help convince the state attorney to charge the perpetrators with felony animal cruelty, successfully.
The Happy Herald printed my list of ways to participate in #animalherotober.
A NY arts college graduate sang a vegan parody I wrote and we posted it on our social media, “You say you want a Vegolution.” The full video message from Joaquin Phoenix opened the month of AnimalHerotober on our Instagram account reaching thousands.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjLh4cHKXGu/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Here are ways you can be an Animal Hero during AnimalHerotober and beyond!
- Visit your local animal shelter and donate catnip toys or volunteer to walk the dogs.
You could even write a letter from the point of view or tell the story of a particular dog or cat to encourage adopting him or her and post their photo and story on social media. Remember to include #animalherotober in your posts.
- Sponsor a copy of the Animal Hero Kids Voices for the Voiceless book to your local library or school.
This empathy-fostering guidebook is full of heartwarming stories of animal rescue and lists practical ways you can help all species of animals. If the library or school wishes the author to lead a virtual reading to tell some of the rescue stories with Lovey, the rescued from the pound kill list dog, go to SusanHargreaves.com to book a free program.
- Organize a vegan fare giveaway in your local community, in a safe and responsible way. Perhaps a local restaurant or vegan food company would donate to your giveaway.
Why vegan, you ask? Eating vegan fare, also known as plant-based fare helps everyone, the animals, and the planet and counteracts climate change, to learn more go to the Why Vegan tab at BeanAnimalHero.com
- Speak to your local city or county commission about an issue you know needs changing for animal protection. You could ask them to sign the Plant Based Treaty
Each monthly city council or county commission meeting gives an opportunity for the public to speak. This is how so many steps forward for other animals begin. The first United States wild animal display ban happened in 1989 in Hollywood, Florida, at a Hollywood council meeting as did canned hunt bans, the banning of animals being sold in pet stores, and the list goes on, Please, mention you are participating in the global AnimalHerotober campaign, and film and post on social media. https://plantbasedtreaty.org/ Don’t forget to use the #animalherotober and #plantbasedtreaty hashtags
- Ask your local restaurants to feature vegan AnimalHerotober specials, it’s so easy today to make scrumptious fare without harming animals.
Vegan Tips by Veganza, the Animal Hero character in the new book, are free here. www.animalherokids.org/vegan-tips-by-veganza
- Create your own video Get your #animalherotober message out there via spoken word, song, or even a piece of art to spread awareness of how everyone can be an animal hero. Post on social media.
- Dress as characters in the “Veganza Animal Heroes’’ novel for Halloween. Veganza, Courage, or Freedom embody brave vegan superheroes. You could also dress as your own favorite animal hero or a non-human animal. One year I dressed as a mermaid holding a sign with a fish friend who was asking not to be killed for a huge outdoor Fort Lauderdale block party. Send and/or post your best Veganza or Courage or Freedom our new animal hero character in the Veganza novel.
- Donate to the Veganza Vanza mission of giving free, interactive kindness education programs for all ages and free vegan fare, please, go to BEanAnimalHero.org for Veganza Vanza updates.
- Host your own holiday party with scrumptious vegan fare and music to celebrate #animalherotober
- Ask your local library or newspaper to create a display or write a story about #animalherotober month. Help them by giving them the three books written to empower all to be heroes and many films on our Vimeo account.
DSPCA Summer campers in Veganza hero capes and masks after the interactive presentation focusing on the adventures of animal rescue.
FWM: Your new novel, Veganza Animal Heroes, debuted at number #1 in new releases for young adults and ecology on Amazon. What is your mission for this book?
We would like to see a film made out of this exciting action-adventure novel. These are the world’s first vegan superheroes, they need their own movie or show! So, if anyone wishes to help make this mission a reality, contact me! Meanwhile, we continue to appear embodying the tales of daring rescue at events, foster group homes, and schools.
https://www.animalherokids.org/veganza/
Tell us about the World’s First Veganza Animal Heroes Novel Tour.
We began in London at the Excel Center at an event that had 13,000 pre-sign-ups, my trip to the school at the former hatchery in West Yorkshire came next.
The front page of the Dublin Live news proclaimed the purpose of our visit before we arrived in Ireland. In the story’s plot, Veganza returns to the place of her birth. You have to read the book to find out how the vegan twins of the Happy Pear factor into the adventure, they acted out their part of the story in front of their pear tree mural with the costumes characters.
A Dublin SPCA summer camp group in the Wicklow mountains enjoyed a picnic vegan lunch and participated wearing their own capes in our interactive, empowerment to compassionate action programs, it was beautiful. It was wonderful, positive, and inspiring to see the response from the crowds. A short video on our Veganza Animal Heroes website page shows it all.
Reading with Veganza AKA Susan Hargreaves, at The Happy Pear vegan cafe in Greystones, Ireland, with twins Dave and Steve Flynn who appear in the “Veganza Animal Heroes” book plot. Sean Russell, the tour documentarian and marketer is filming.
On the San Francisco leg of the World’s First Veganza Animal Heroes Global Tour I looked forward to meeting Monique Martinez for the first time in person. She’s the illustrative artist for both Veganza books. I originally saw her art on Instagram and loved it. She’s a self-taught artist and a vegan. I private messaged her and she said there was a certain type of software program she needs and her computer was broken. I suggested sending the funds to purchase what’s needed and that will be subtracted from the cost of the Veganza book art. So, I sent a wire transfer, the bank manager questioned me “how do you know this person? “ I saw her art on Instagram”, I replied, you could tell he thought it was risky.
My trust was rewarded threefold. It was the start of a productive partnership, we work so well together. I write a few pages and Monique envisions the scenes how I see them in my mind’s eye. I felt like I was meeting an old friend by the time we met in person at the Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival to read the Veganza book in Veganza mode.
You worked with Shaun Monson, the acclaimed Earthlings filmmaker on an original short documentary entitled The Heart Whisperer. Tell us more.
I was honored Shaun Monson offered to complete this short original documentary which combines old news footage from the 1980s- one clip where I surprise fur fashion showgoers on the runway stage holding a leg-hold trap- with today’s activities. The release of pelicans that were rehabilitated from injury from fishing hooks was a special moment on the beach at sunrise.
https://vimeo.com/735030619 University, free screenings are offered along with a lively discussion after and vegan fare tastings. (See the trailer link above)
How can we support Animal Hero Kids?
We are all volunteers and really need more help, especially computer, technical assistance, artists, dancers, singers, photographers, social media wizards, videographers, drone filmers, cape makers, and even mechanics for the Veganza Vanza, donors are really appreciated, too. In-kind donations of vegan fare products, food store gift cards, and printing gift cards are also much appreciated. In each school assembly for younger grades, I distribute “Animal Hero Pledge cards that fold up so the children can take them home. Tofurky, Beyond Meat, Miyoko’s Artisan vegan cheese, and Tofutti are a few of the wonderful vegan companies who have helped us feed by donating products or coupons.
On the AnimalHeroKids.org website is a volunteer participation form.
My lifelong mission of preventing animal cruelty by educating and advocating is an uphill battle. I am like the ever-ready bunny, my battery is powered by the support and generosity of people who believe in our lifesaving mission.
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