Anita Krajnc
Anita Krajnc is a Canadian animal rights activist. She is the co-founder of Toronto Pig Save and the Executive Director of the global Animal Save Movement.
Anita Krajnc became a vegetarian after watching a 1981 documentary while at university, called The Animals Film. She then became an activist and the president of Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals at the University of Toronto. She later achieved a master’s degree in political science and environmental studies, and a PhD in politics. In 2000 another film, The Witness, had a big impact in Krajnc and she decided to go vegan.1Scott-Reid, J. 2020. Anita Krajnc: Bringing the World Together to Bear Witness. Available: https://unboundproject.org/anita-krajnc/ [Accessed 4 November 2021].
Krajnc hit the headlines when, in 2015, she was charged with “criminal mischief” for giving water to pigs in a slaughter truck on their way to be killed. The case went global and sparked a lot of debate on the sentience and rights of pigs. In 2017, Krajnc was found not guilty as the judge deemed it not a crime to give animals water.
“’When the suffering of another creature causes you to feel pain, do not submit to the initial desire to flee from the suffering one, but on the contrary, come closer, as close as you can to he who suffers, and try to help.’ That’s where we got the definition of bearing witness. You have a choice: you can flee, or you can come close and try to help.”1Scott-Reid, J. 2020. Anita Krajnc: Bringing the World Together to Bear Witness. Available: https://unboundproject.org/anita-krajnc/ [Accessed 4 November 2021].
