Our Mission

At The Animal Impact Project, our mission is to create a more informed and compassionate world for animals.

Whether you’re a lifelong vegan or brand new to the animal advocacy movement, you’re in the right place. I hope you subscribe and join me on this journey.

Meet the Author

My journey into animal advocacy started when I was 13 years old.

After watching the documentary Forks Over Knives with my sister, we both decided to become vegan that same day. Learning about the reality of factory farming and its effects on animals, the environment, and my own health completely changed the way I saw food. For the first time, I realized that the everyday choices we make can have consequences far beyond what we can see.

As I grew up and began supporting myself financially, maintaining a fully vegan diet became more challenging, and I eventually gave up. I was disappointed in myself, and for a while, I felt like I had simply failed. This sentiment was only reinforced by my experiences with the gatekeeping and all-or-nothing thinking that existed within parts of the vegan community. I started to believe that if I couldn’t be the “perfect” advocate for animals, there was no point in even trying.

Over time, I realized that doing some good is always better than doing none at all. Every compassionate choice matters. Every donation, every meal, every volunteer hour, and every informed decision is a step in the right direction.

Soon after this, I got a job at a local animal shelter, and it completely transformed the way I thought about animal advocacy. I’ve had the opportunity to work in both a small, overpopulated shelter in the rural southern community and a large animal welfare organization in a major city. Both of these experiences showed me that while every community faces unique challenges, many of the underlying issues are the same. Limited resources, misinformation, and systemic barriers often shape the lives of animals as well as the people who care about them.

I still choose vegan options whenever I can, continue learning about effective animal advocacy, and look for new ways to reduce animal suffering in my own life. My goal isn’t to be perfect. It’s to keep learning, to always try to do better, and to encourage and inspire others to do the same.

That’s why I created The Animal Impact Project.

This blog is for anyone who cares about animals and wants to make a difference. Together, we’ll question assumptions, explore solutions, and discover practical, evidence-based ways to create a more informed and compassionate world for animals.

One choice at a time.

Thank you for reading,

Erica Maddox-Qu