Evanna Lynch has called on people to treat animals as their “equals” and our “companions”.
The Harry Potter star said she has been comforted by animals when she has been feeling down – and wants to stop animal cruelty.
Now the 23-year-old has signed up with Compassion In World Farming to try and help creatures who can’t speak for themselves.
Helping: Evanna wants to stop animal cruelty |Â JASON CLARKE
She said: “I have always had this innate belief that animals are our companions, our teachers, our mirrors, our equals and that there is no earthly reason why we have somehow taken it as an inalienable right to exploit their lives for our own means.
“In my experience animals have only ever been kind, soulful, enlightening, fascinating, comforting and they have helped me shift my perspective of myself and the world in many positive ways.
“I’m at the beginning of my journey of discovering how best to help animals, and how best to bridge the gap of miscommunication between humans and animals so that we can reach a plane of mutual understanding and respect for each other.
“I often struggle to know where to begin to help or even how to completely ensure my personal lifestyle choices aren’t adversely affecting animals.
Charitable: Evanna has also helped out Unicef in past | PHOTOCALL IRELAND
“I think living a compassion-filled, cruelty-free life is a process and you have to be willing to forgive yourself your shortcomings and forgive society for what it has lead you to believe.
“And then to patiently and decisively take the steps to confront the truth of cruelty towards animals, and in your own style and voice stand up and challenge it.”
The Louth actress is now pushing to try and get animals – especially rabbits – “locked up in tiny cages” out of the “inhumane, intolerable and unnecessary” conditions they face.
Writing on Facebook, Evanna added: “It is my first instinct to turn my head and tell myself a nice story of the nice things I do for my cat and that this kind of cruelty isn’t my fault.
“But it also isn’t the animals’ fault, the ones who are suffering horribly, and the problem is that they don’t have the voice we have to challenge the system.”
