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Paint to pies in the face: an activist’s life

A day in the life of Emily Lavender may involve standing outside the Prime Minister’s home in a seal suit, standing nude on the Spanish Steps in Rome painted like a snake, or standing on a snowy Canadian street corner wearing a lettuce bikini and a sign: Go Vegan.
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PETA’s Emily Lavender painted as a snake (above) with the message: Animal Prints

A day in the life of Emily Lavender may involve standing outside the Prime Minister’s home in a seal suit, standing nude on the Spanish Steps in Rome painted like a snake, or standing on a snowy Canadian street corner wearing a lettuce bikini and a sign: Go Vegan.

This is the former Parksville resident’s job with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the largest animal rights organization in the world, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I decided to dedicate my life’s work to stopping cruelty to animals,” said the 22-year-old. “I’ll be doing this for the rest of my life.”

Lavender grew up in Duncan but attended Parksville’s Christian elementary school years ago.

She turned vegan herself after checking out PETA’s website, which shows things like slaughter house conditions, horrific dairy farm standards and animal testing.

“I was absolutely horrified,” she said. “I had no idea.”

Now she is based in Ottawa, spearheading PETA’s campaign to stop Canada’s annual seal slaughter, a disgusting practice, she said, that needs to stop.

Lavender said that while other world leaders like the Dalai Lama and Barack Obama have condemned the practice, Stephen Harper continues to support and promote it.

“Canadians deserve to know that millions of our tax dollars are being spent propping up this dying industry,” she said.

Many Canadians may recognize Lavender as the PETA anti-seal slaughter activist who got a pie in the face in Newfoundland last year. News reports claim it was a radio personality who did the deed, getting PETA back for previously pieing Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea. But Lavender said she didn’t mind taking one for the seals.

“I was happy to take the pie in the face because these seals can’t speak up for themselves,” she said.

“They are so defenseless, many of them haven’t even had their first solid meal or taken their first swim before they are clubbed on the head.”

Other projects Lavender has undertaken with PETA include following the Queen around during her visit dressed as a bear to discourage the fur hats Her Majesty’s guards wear. This campaign to rid the world of fur clothing and animal skins also included a European tour through five countries and a stint in Halifax where Lavender wore a bikini for a Fur Out – Love In, demonstration during Atlantic Fashion Week.

In her lettuce bikini, Lavender travelled throughout Canada advocating for residents to turn over a new leaf and go vegan, a simple solution, Lavender said to help animals and ourselves.

“It’s the easiest way to get healthy while helping the environment and helping stop cruelty to animals.”

Lavender said she will continue her fight to bring animal cruelty to Canada’s attention, and she’s certain once people are aware what’s going on, changes are inevitable.

Fore more information about PETA and to donate to Lavender’s cause visit www.peta.org.

reporter@pqbnews.com