The images in the following program are very sensitive and may be as disturbing to viewers as they were to us. However, we have to show the truth about cruelty to animals.

HOST: Caring viewers, today’s Stop Animal Cruelty program features the award-winning 2005 documentary on animal suffering “Earthlings” directed by vegan US filmmaker Shaun Monson, co-produced by noted vegan US actresses Persia White and Maggie Q and narrated by Golden Globe- and Grammy-winning vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix.

The film features music by the world-famous vegan DJ and musician Moby from the United States.

“Earthlings” has received numerous honors, including the Proggy Award given by the US-based animal welfare group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the Best Documentary Award in the Animal Advocacy category at the International Artivist Film Festival, held annually in California, USA.

“Earthlings” affects many viewers so profoundly that they immediately decide to adopt the compassionate, plant-based diet.

For example, after watching the film professional ice hockey player Georges Laraque of Canada became a vegan and agreed to narrate the French language version.

Popular US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and Australian actress Portia de Rossi both cite this film as a key reason they decided to become vegan. 

Snowboarder Hannah Teeter of the United States, a gold and silver medalist in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics respectively, stopped eating meat a year ago following watching Earthlings.

Today in the first installment of our six-part presentation of Earthlings, we’ll learn about the heart-wrenching cruelty perpetrated by the pet industry and about “speciesism,” a concept promoted by Dr. Peter Singer, considered the father of the animal rights movement and author of the 1975 classic “Animal Liberation.”