She Made the Connection at a Young Age

I owe Lori an apology for taking so long to write this profile. I interviewed Lori about a year ago, and not only was she a pleasure to speak with, but she also provided insight and valuable information for anyone wanting to advocate for animals. I hope you enjoy this small glimpse into the life of a hard-working and dedicated activist.

Computer engineer by day, and activist at all times, Lori Croonen has been speaking up for animals for decades. After visiting a farm as a child and being shown where the animals were killed, she refused to eat animals again; she understood that killing animals was not kind.

“I was there with other kids who went home and just got on with it. But I went home and said, that's not what I want.”

Despite her parents’ protest she refused to eat animal flesh. A pediatrician reassured her mother that Lori would be just fine eating a plant-based diet.

“I made the connection between bacon and a pig, and it wasn't something I could just forget about. That's how it started, then I went about my life—going to the zoo and these kinds of things, so I was still disconnected from a lot of the issues with animal exploitation. But I knew that eating them was wrong because they were going to get killed.”

As Lori got older and the world wide web became a thing, she began to hear about veganism. “It's been a process. First, I gave up dairy and eggs. I was following a plant-based diet, but still wearing wool and leather,” says Lori. The more she learned, the more animal products she gave up.

“I think of veganism as doing your best to do the least amount of harm. If you're buying a car, ask for fabric seats rather than leather. Do what you can to not support businesses that profit from animal exploitation.”

Having moved to Burlington, she became aware of Fearmans’s slaughterhouse while driving her son to a tutor. “I would see the trucks and turn away in tears. My son was young at the time, and he asked me why I was crying.”

She told him the truth—that they would be killed so people could eat them. Her son was confused because they didn’t eat them and wondered why others did. He then suggested that she do something about it.

She did just that and began her activism journey in 2014. “I looked into activism online. I started following Toronto Pig Save. Then I saw Anita Krajnc on the news for getting arrested for giving water to pigs. That was a turning point for me. I admired what she did, standing up to the industry; I would never have thought of doing something like that.”

Seeing the bravery of Anita Krajnc on the news was the catalyst for Lori joining Toronto Pig Save, an organization she still volunteers with to this day, and she bears witness to pigs every week at Fearmans’s in Burlington. In addition to this, she’s an activist with Anonymous for the Voiceless in Burlington, she does presentations in schools, and in 2022 organized and launched the Burlington Vegfest.

Burlington is home to Canada’s largest RibFest, and every year Lori and fellow activists attended to hand out plant-based food as a way of encouraging folks to give veganism a try. What they heard repeatedly during this event was that folks were coming for the fun and music, not necessarily for the ribs. This got Lori thinking about establishing a Vegfest in Burlington.

While covid threw a wrench in their initial plans, they successfully launched in 2022. This year’s festival will take place on August 17 from noon until 7:00 PM, again at Burloak Waterfront Park. Their team of eight volunteers are dedicated to creating change in the world.

“People don't know what happens in the dairy, egg, and fur industries—not to mention in aquariums and zoos. They see the glamorized marketing side—they don't see the suffering of these animals. They're not making decisions based on what their ethics are, but on the lies that are told by industries that are making money off their ignorance.”

Lori believes in the power of information. She knows that most people love animals and that if they understood what went on behind the closed doors of factory farms and slaughterhouses more people would be opposed to contributing to it. She lives and works for the day when animal exploitation will no longer be normalized.

She also feels that it’s the responsibility of all vegans to do something to educate people. If folks aren’t able to do street-level activism for whatever reason, there are still many activities they can take part in that directly or indirectly help animals. For example, donating time or money to an animal sanctuary, wearing a T-shirt that shares a vegan message, working at a vegan restaurant or advocating for more plant-based options at restaurants in your city, and volunteering at your local animal shelter. Another form of activism is to create a blog or newsletter and share thoughts about the benefits of veganism—for the animals, for the planet and for health.

Like most activists who do street-level activism, Lori shares that the hardest part of doing this work is being witness to the suffering. “These animals are terrified. I feel internal pressure to do as much as I can. I can't do everything, but I can do something to contribute to a kinder world.”

Lori was in attendance at the vigil at Fearmans’s that ended in the tragic death of long-time activist Regan Russell in June of 2020. When asked if she feels activism has changed since that horrific day, Lori shares that she thinks people are more determined.

“It hasn't changed in that people are afraid to do activism. It's probably the opposite. Her story went worldwide, and many people have been inspired. Her story exposes the industry as well.”

She goes on to talk about the minor consequences faced by the driver of the vehicle that killed Regan—nothing more than a traffic violation. It was preventable. There was no logical reason for the driver to have “gunned it” as Lori witnessed.

“I don't think she got justice, but I think that she will one day because her story will be told, and it'll be in the history books for any activist fighting for human or animal rights.”

The primary reason Regan didn’t get justice is because the police charged the driver with careless driving. If he had been charged in accordance with the law, he would have been charged with reckless driving causing death and the case would have been heard in criminal court where witness statements would have been heard. It would likely have resulted in a different outcome and, in a small way, it may have been justice for Regan.

Pat and Bill Russell, Regan’s parents, shared a message on the eve of the 4th anniversary of Regan’s death.

Lori has residual trauma from that horrific day. Animal Save Movement hired therapists to help all those in attendance on that day process the trauma. Therapy helped Lori express what she was feeling. But despite everything she has done and continues to do in the animal rights movement, and the fact that justice for Regan was out of her control when it came to the courts and the Burlington police, Lori feels she let Regan down.

“But I'm not going to shut up. If anything, it gets me more fired up. It's an evil industry that kills innocent babies, and they don't care that we're [activists] put in that same category.”

The animal activist community is strong, and Lori finds comfort and is grateful for gathering with like-minded people who are doing the hard work of standing up for animals.

For those new to activism, Lori suggests being open to the many ways one can support animals. Not all activism happens at the street level. “I've met so many vegan activists and they've all gone in different directions. Some lobby for politicians, some participate in street activism, at festivals, or sanctuaries. We need people writing blogs. We need vegan support groups. If you have a passion for animal rights, there's something out there that you can do.”

She goes on to ensure folks that if you try one form of activism and discover it’s not for you, then don’t be afraid to move to something else. No one is built the same way and what is within one person’s comfort zone may well be outside of another person’s. At the same time, get involved with the vegan community as that’s where you’ll find all the information you need for success on your journey as an animal activist.

Every day, Lori continues to move toward a day when violence against animals is no longer normalized—from the horses who pull carriages, to animals born into misery for human consumption, to wild animals imprisoned in zoos and aquariums. And she helps people understand how they can align their actions with their ethics.

“I want the new normal to be we don't abuse animals at all—that exploitation of animals is taboo. I would die happy if I knew I had a part in all slaughterhouses closing down.”

Reminder, the Burlington Vegfest will take place on August 17th starting a noon at Burloak Waterfront Park. Please visit the website for more information.