Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

“We had a rooster and a hen living with us, Moa and Moana.  Our 3 year old son Manu loved to hold them on his lap and stroke them gently.  One day he went into a sushi shop and the man asked him if he wanted a sushi with chicken in it.  Manu looked horrified:  “What” he said, “Moa and Moana?  Me no eat it!”  And indeed he has never had a bit of any meat since.  Our entire family is vegetarian and we try to be as vegan as possible.  When I was 12 I started an anti-hunting club:  we took our air rifles into the country and when it was hunting season we shot over the heads of birds to frighten them away before the hunters got there.  Today I believe there are better ways of persuading people not to harm animals.  But education is to my mind the only true way, and the earlier it starts, the better.  Children have a natural compassion, and given a chance, they will express it.  A club that shows them they are not alone and encourages them to widen the circle of their compassion is an outstanding idea.  Bravo to Voiceless for once again being in the forefront of imaginative ways to make a difference to animals.” 

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is the author of some 24 books, including the international best-seller:  When Elephants Weep; Dogs Never Lie About Love; The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats; the Pig Who Sang to the Moon and Raising the Peaceable Kingdom.  He lives on a beach in New Zealand with his wife, a paediatrician, and their two sons, Ilan 9, and Manu, 4.  Visit his website at www.jeffreymasson.com where you will see Jeffrey playing with a friendly cheetah.