Some Touch of Pity: Cats, bats, traps and horses - A journey into activism

To write or fight? That was the question. What to do when Victoria’s oldest scientific institution, the Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens, plans to exterminate struggling native flying foxes – while telling the public the opposite? What to do when journalists collude with cruelty and Victoria’s liberal vet-Premier Denis Napthine allocates millions of dollars to brutal jumps racing while sacking thousands of workers? When racing ‘legends’ believe that ‘bad horses need the whip’ or when killing native animals for fun is seen as a tradition and a right? Lawrence Pope tracks his journey from working on confronting shifts in ‘psych’, counselling and social work to equally disturbing experiences in Victoria’s animal advocacy movement and public fights with old Melbourne’s “old money”. “A unique voice that [is] rational and eloquent, angry and profane by turns … an important social document.” Professor Freya Mathews, La Trobe University – Philosophy “A record of intense, persistent and aggressive activism which has utilised the focus of rare logic along with a rigid, unwavering desire to try to make those responsible for animal abuse, accountable.” Jim Roberts, Christina Fitzsimons Trust, Animal Liberation “I defy any person to remain untouched by Lawrence Pope’s story of his animal activist life. An educated and empathetic man, Pope tells of his experiences and journey to defend the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves – a must read..” John Morrow’s Pick of the Week “Pope is passionate about eliminating cruelty to animals and raising awareness of ways in which we can all contribute to societal change.” Chris McGuigan, Kensington Press