As part of The Great Vegan Challenge, Animal Aid organises a trip to The Retreat Animal Rescue in High Halden, Kent, so participants can visit the animals who live there – most of whom have been saved from slaughter.
Most people never get to meet and interact with farmed animals, such as pigs, cows and turkeys as they would a cat or a dog; this leads to a huge disconnect between animals who they eat and those who they cuddle and even consider to be their family members. By meeting these animals, we hoped that visitor to the Retreat will able to see that all animals have personalities and want to live, just as much as the dogs and cats we have in our homes do.
The day started off with heavy rain, which initially made me worry that many would not be able to attend. However, as the morning pressed on, and the rain ceased, attendees started arriving – all in all, more than 20 people attended.
Once everyone had settled and warmed up with a cup of tea, we were treated to an amazing vegan buffet by Neil, The Retreat’s resident chef. The spread was amazing and included vegan ‘chicken’ and mushroom pies, quiches, pasta dishes, bacon-style seitan, salads, guacamole, home-made bread, vegan cheese and so much more! The food was amazing, and everyone was certainly satisfied afterwards.
After lunch, Billy – who runs the sanctuary – took us on a tour. We visited and heard the stories of the pigs, cows, donkeys, horses, sheep, goats, turkeys, and scores of other animals who live at The Retreat, free from harm. Many of them were very friendly and came over to us for a belly rub, head scratch and cuddle. 
As a final treat, when we returned from the tour, we enjoyed a lovely selection of cakes and a cup of tea. Going vegan certainly doesn’t mean going without!
Huge thanks must go to the staff and volunteers at the sanctuary who worked so hard to prepare everything ready for us and made everyone feel so welcome. If you would like to make a donation to The Retreat Animal Rescue, become a volunteer there, or just pop in for a visit, check out their website and Facebook page for further details.