For most Americans, their only interactions with birds are when they're on their dinner plates, but one Los Angeles man made a new friend that's forced him to stop eating them altogether. At Echo Park in downtown Los Angeles lives a goose named Maria, who 10 months ago began following Dominic Ehrler, a retired salesman. He wasn't feeding her or doing anything to attract her attention, but something about him made her want to follow him around the park. And she hasn't stopped following him since.
Every morning she waits for him to arrive for their walk together, and when he leaves on his scooter she flies with him for a few blocks.
When asked if his relationship with Maria has changed him at all, Ehrler replied, "I quit eating poultry. I never had that much respect for them, I figured all birds were dumb - this has changed all that."
Watch a video of Maria and Dominic here.
This heartwarming story is one of many that illustrate the bond between humans and farmed animals - intelligent creatures with individual personalities just like the cats and dogs we share our homes with.
To learn more about the horrors of modern poultry farming watch Farm to Fridge, and for delicious, meat-free recipes visit ChooseVeg.com
