Draft:Susan Hargreaves

Susan Hargreaves is an animal rights activist, author, film producer, vegan, and founder of Animal Hero Kids, Inc. The international nonprofit organization focuses on humane education and empowering people of all ages to be active in animal protection.

Hargreaves was born in Liverpool, England, in 1959. She has worked in the field of humane education since 1980. After investigating stockyards and slaughterhouses that same year, she decided to become a vegetarian. In 1985, she transitioned to a vegan lifestyle upon learning about the treatment of dairy cows in the animal agriculture industry.

She emigrated from Canada to the United States under the EB-1 Visa category of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a designation that requires demonstrating international recognition for outstanding achievements in her field of humane education. Notably, her work has been featured in the documentary, The Heart Whisperer, by American film director and producer Shaun Monson.

Hargreaves has authored five books about helping animals. Her first book, Animal Hero Kids Voices for the Voiceless, received a Skipping Stones Honor Award by the international multicultural literary magazine Skipping Stones.

Hargreaves was a guest on National Public Radio (NPR) as an expert on animal abuse issues, including marine mammal captivity. Her animal advocacy played a role in the campaign against the captivity of the orca Lolita at the Miami Seaquarium. She was featured in the Miami Herald and on CBS Miami News for her work to free captive marine animals.

Her work has garnered attention in international media, such as Dublin Live, Yahoo News, and the Huffington Post, highlighting her efforts to combat animal cruelty. Hargreaves was also featured in Canada's National Observer for her longstanding commitment to promoting plant-based diets as a means to combat climate change.

When a viral video taken by Mariana Sabogal captured two men dragging a shark out of the ocean and stabbing it in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., sparking global media attention, Hargreaves' recognition of Sabogal for her courage to stop and record the two men was covered by Fox affiliate, WSVN 7 News Miami.

In 2019, Hargreaves organized the first international summit to unite youth who stand up for animals. The summit was called, "Be an Animal Hero Summit," and was covered in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper.

Early Life
In 1965, at age 6, Hargreaves emigrated to Australia from Liverpool, England, as part of the Ten Pound Poms program. She and her family lived in a migrant hostel.

During a visit to West Yorkshire, England, at the age of 9, she witnessed the mass culling of male chicks at a chicken hatchery, a moment that profoundly impacted her views on how society treats animals. At age 10, Hargreaves emigrated to Toronto, Canada, where she became an active advocate for animal rights.

Books

 * Hargreaves, Susan (Feb. 23, 2024), Veganza Animal Heroes Series Guide to Save Animals & the Earth. ISBN 978-1-7357399-9-1
 * Hargreaves, Susan (Sept. 19, 2023), There's a Cow in My Dreams. ISBN 978-1-7357399-5-3
 * Hargreaves, Susan (June 18, 2022), Veganza Animal Hero Series. ISBN 978-0-615-99522-9
 * Hargreaves, Susan (Oct. 1, 2020), Veganza Animal Hero. ISBN 978-1-7357399-2-2
 * Hargreaves, Susan (Jan. 7, 2015), Animal Hero Kids Voices for the Voiceless. ISBN 978-0-615-99522-9

Films

 * The Heart Whisperer (Short, 2023)
 * Veganza Animal Hero Claymation (Short, 2022)
 * Be an Animal Hero Says Mother Nature (Short, 2021)
 * A Prayer for Compassion (featured in documentary, 2019)

Awards

 * In 2024, Hargreaves was named on the Palm Beach Power List for her influential advocacy for animals
 * The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, the creator of the global Loving Hut vegan restaurant franchise, awarded Hargreaves the 'Shining World Leadership Award for Compassion ' in 2018
 * In 2016, Hargreaves' book, Animal Hero Kids Voices for the Voiceless, received a Skipping Stones Honor Award from Skipping Stones Magazine, a nonprofit children's magazine that celebrates diversity and respect among cultures
 * Hargreaves was named to the "Best Environmentalists" list in 2016 recognized by the Broward/Palm Beach New Times