Martin Shaw is a British television actor who has played the lead in many prime-time TV dramas including The Professionals, The Chief, Rhodes, The Scarlet Pimpernel, A&E, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently.
Martin is a Viva! Patron and is outspoken about animal rights and welfare issues.
I’ve been involved with Viva! almost from the very beginning. I’ve watched and been in involved in many campaigns and my affection and admiration grows for all you do for animals, and by extension the whole planet.
Going vegan is central to saving animals, stopping the misery and torture that farmed animals endure. It’s also essential to saving the world. Viva! articulates the hopes and the aims of people who are conscious and want things to change – and really this is the voice of kindness and compassion and somebody needs to do it.
I had a mixture of feelings when I first discovered what went on in factory farms. First of all there was rage that animals could be subjected to such suffering. It was followed by a sense of guilt that I had tacitly tolerated it for so long. Finally there was a sense of relief that I didn’t have to be involved with it at all – all I needed to do was stop eating meat.