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Max the cat was wandering the streets alone when his fate intertwined with that of an 8-year-old Carol Marcus, who would drastically change his life and begin a significant transformation of her own. "Max picked me to take him home," the adult Carol explains. "Not knowing much about cats, I went in to ask my mom for some bread to give [him]." Fortunately, Carol's compassion for nonhumans didn't stop with the small and the fuzzy, but only extended further as she grew up and began spending more and more time defending the finned, furred and feathered.

Intensifying in the late 1980s and sustaining her into the present day, Carol's desire for a better world has prompted her to take to the streets of New York City and beyond, where she has marched for the protection of whales, protested for victims of the fur industry, educated others about the consequences of supporting "puppy mills," and raised awareness about the brutality of vivisection. Luckily, Carol also took an interest in the efforts of Farm Sanctuary when the Long Island Coalition for Animals, a grassroots organization for which she also volunteers, visited us in Watkins Glen in 1992.

Making changes to her diet soon after visiting Farm Sanctuary for the first time, Carol has also been making a big difference for farm animals by following a vegan lifestyle. Feeling further inspired by our sanctuary residents, Carol attended her first New York Shelter Country Hoe Down in 2000. Never missing out on the opportunity to exchange ideas with other activists and to mingle with the critters, Carol continues to attend the activist conference annually. She looks forward to these visits, where she finds great joy in "seeing the animals who have been saved from certain death." She continues, "Seeing how happy and safe they are is the best gift anyone could receive." We couldn't agree more.

With about 20 years of activism under her belt, Carol became a prominent voice for abused and neglected "food" animals in 2006 when she joined forces with other activists in NYC to table at Penn and Grand Central Stations and to educate the public about factory farming's toll on animals, people and planet Earth. "Some people are quite happy that we are there and others looked shocked when watching the videos, and still others get defensive or antagonistic," she explains. "But it is so important to try to reach as many people as possible." Thanks to her continual willingness to lend a helping hand, Carol has exposed many to the true yet mostly unseen horrors of the factory farming industry.

Although it's been many years now since Carol rescued Max, a stray cat in desperate need of tender loving care, she's never forgotten her feline-loving roots and has gone on to provide caring homes for several more. Two of her kitty kids, Kahuna and Tiffany, lived with her for many years before passing away in the past year, and Jamie, another abandoned stray, has since become a cherished member of her family. Whether she's giving her all to come to the aid of cats, whales, cows, or rabbits, one thing is certain: The animal protection movement is very fortunate to have her on our side. Thank you, Carol, for inspiring us to make our lives as compassionate and passionate as you've made your own!

Together, we ARE making a difference. If you would like to find out more about volunteering your time to educate others about factory farming and vegetarianism, please contact us at activist@farmsanctuary.org, or call 607-583-2225 ext. 229. Click here to find out what YOU can do to help!