Let's Make Veganism Less Strict

[silva]

I see no shame in saying 'mostly vegan', or that they're vegetarian and try and keep vegan, but sometimes make exceptions. That's what I say

 

[g0rph]

You can be vegan and have pets, of course. I think you can be vegan and give me to cats as well or cook and give meat to humans and still be vegan. Do not sure there is as much conflict between veganism and pets as you make out.

The point is, I am not against responsible breeding. Veganism says this is a bad thing. And for sure, puppy mills certainly are.
And it's all very well saying "adopt don't shop", but I don't want to see the end of Border Collies, Labradors, Belgian Malinois, Jack Russell Terriers etc etc. Each breed has known characteristics. Taking in a rescue dog is fine for many, but probably not advisable for a family with small children.
I don't want someone who wants to keep guinea pigs or rats to be no longer allowed to...
Of course, laws need to protect them, but I think having pets is a healthy thing.

 

[Ahimsa24/7]

I adopted (created?) the term "virtual vegan" to describe myself. Do I know with absolute certainty that the popcorn at the movie theater is vegan, or that there isn't a little bit of cheese in the tomato sauce at the restaurant even when they say there isn't? Is there some animal product in the dry wall used to build my house 53 years ago? Do I benevolently imprison my cats in my home against their will? Sort of.

I do the best I can with the information available to me to do what I think is the ethical thing, without driving myself crazy. "If it's stolen from an animal I don't use it" works 99% of the time.

 

[Graeme M]

I adopted (created?) the term "virtual vegan" to describe myself. Do I know with absolute certainty that the popcorn at the movie theater is vegan, or that there isn't a little bit of cheese in the tomato sauce at the restaurant even when they say there isn't? Is there some animal product in the dry wall used to build my house 53 years ago? Do I benevolently imprison my cats in my home against their will? Sort of.

I do the best I can with the information available to me to do what I think is the ethical thing, without driving myself crazy. "If it's stolen from an animal I don't use it" works 99% of the time.

That seems pretty reasonable. The big items are really the obvious items, the rest seem to be more of a sort of diminishing returns thing. I don't use the label at all myself because I am not vegan the way most serious vegans would think about it, so if asked I just say I follow vegan ethics.