PETA UK’s Dawn Carr on moths, veganism and Taylor Swift

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DawnCarr

Name: Dawn Carr

Job title: Vice president of vegan corporate projects

Company: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

What was your first job? I had a brief stint in the aquarium department of a pet store. I love fish but hated seeing so many of them arrive from the supplier already dead or dying. It was expected. I began questioning everything I knew about keeping animals as “pets”.

What’s been your worst job interview? I arrived at my interview for a park photographer position at Disney World with my meticulously curated portfolio in hand. They just asked: “Do you know how to use a camera?” Hired.

What was the first music single you bought? London Calling by The Clash.

“I’d love to help Taylor Swift engage her legion of fans in taking action for animals”

How do you describe your job to your friends? I work with businesses to help make vegan food more appealing and accessible to meat-eaters. From high end to the high street, I’ve worked with Michelin-starred chef Alexis Gauthier and huge brands like Burger King and KFC to get winning vegan options on the table.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Knowing that my work is leading to a foodscape that’s kinder to animals and the planet.

What is the least rewarding part? Can I say filing? It’s also frustrating when people agree that choosing vibrant vegan food is better for animals, the environment, and their health, but inertia keeps them stuck in their meaty, cheesy rut.

What is your motto in life? This is not my practice life.

If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? I already get to achieve progress for animals and taste-test gorgeous vegan food. What more could I ask for?

Do you have any phobias? I find moths and their dusty wings deeply unsettling. I’d never harm one, but I prefer they keep their distance.

If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? Animals out – plants in. Delicious, innovative vegan products are readily available, so there’s no reason to choose something that’s been cut off or squeezed out of an animal.

What luxury would you have on a desert island? A well-stocked Kobo e-reader.

What animal most reflects your personality? I’ll say a cuttlefish. Resilient, adaptable, and curious with a quiet determination and tentacles. And I just like cuttlefish.

What’s your favourite film and why? It’s always hard to pick one, but I love Harold and Maude for its joyous, funny, and sometimes dark take on life and death.

What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? As if I’d tell you that! Honestly, I don’t know. I’m sure I’ve said and done plenty of embarrassing things, but I have a strong capacity to face forward that protects me from remembering.

Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? I’d love to help Taylor Swift engage her legion of fans in taking action for animals.

What would your death row meal be? My signature vegan banana mushroom onion pancakes with maple syrup, chilli flakes, and a glass of champagne. I know it sounds odd, but it really works!