Owain Yeoman’s ‘Veggie Testimonials’

While violence is something that his character, Wayne Rigsby, encountered weekly on CBS’ hit drama, The Mentalist, actor Owain Yeoman lives a much more peaceful existence in real life: He’s vegetarian!

After learning about the cruel treatment of animals who are raised and killed for food, Owain says that he could no longer support such a violent industry. “The fact that the meat on my plate was once a living, breathing creature became something I could no longer ignore or justify as food.”

Each year, billions of chickens, pigs, cows, turkeys, and other animals are tortured and killed to satisfy the world’s meat addiction. They are crammed by the tens of thousands into filthy wire cages, sheds, or gestation crates without enough room to turn around or spread even one wing. They endure painful procedures like debeaking, dehorning, branding, and castration, all without any painkillers, and are pumped full of growth hormones and other drugs, causing many of them to become crippled from the unnatural, rapid weight gain.

Depending on the animal being slaughtered, federal laws are either minimal (and often unenforced) or non-existent, and many animals raised for food are fully conscious when they are hung upside-down, have their throats cut, and are dismembered.

Eliminating the flesh from your diet is much easier than you think—take it from Owain: “As someone who felt they were a confirmed meat-eater, I guess ultimately if I can do it, then anyone can, you know―it’s a really easy choice to make. And it’s a humane choice to make.”