"Animals are my friends...and I don't eat my…

“Animals are my friends…and I don’t eat my friends” is a vegan saying that has been printed on many images.

“Animals are my friends, and I don’t eat my friends.—Rukmini Devi Arundale” was printed in the book Eating for Life: A Book about Vegetarianism (1977) by Nathaniel Altman. Rukmini Devi Arundale (1904-1986) was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, and an activist for animal rights and welfare.

“Animals are my friends . . . and I don’t eat my friends. - George Bernard Shaw” was printed in The Evening Sun (Baltimore, MD) on February 3, 1982. Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) is usually credited with the saying, but there is no evidence that he ever said it.

“Eat fruit, not friends” is a similar saying.

Wikipedia: Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale (née Neelakanta Shastri; 29 February 1904 – 24 February 1986) was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, and an activist for animal rights and welfare.

She was the first woman in Indian history to be nominated a member of the Rajya Sabha. The most important revivalist of Bharatanatyam from its original ‘sadhir’ style prevalent amongst the temple dancers, the Devadasis, she also worked for the re-establishment of traditional Indian arts and crafts.

Google Books
Eating for Life:
A Book about Vegetarianism
By Nathaniel Altman
Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House
1977
Pg. 65:
Animals are my friends, and I don’t eat my friends.
Rukmini Devi Arundale

Newspapers.com
24 June 1977, Atlanta (GA) Constitution, “Pulse of the Public” Vegetarians Aren’t Weird” by Marcia Montenegro Chastain, pg. 5-A, col. 1:
As one vegetarian said, “Animals are my friends, and I don’t eat my friends.”

Newspapers.com
30 September 1981, The Times (Munster, IN), “Vegetarian Day” (Letters), pg. A-15, col. 1:
Finally, the word of Rukmini Devi Arundale: “Animals are my friends, and I don’t eat my friends.”
HIGHLAND
Name withheld by request

Newspapers.com
3 February 1982, The Evening Sun (Baltimore, MD), “Vegetarianism” by Winfred Walsh, pg. E1, col. 1:
Animals are my friends . . . and I don’t eat my friends.
- George Bernard Shaw

Google Books
The Vegetarian Connection
By Joel Rose
New York, NY: Facts on File Publications
1985
Pg. 22:
Also by Shaw: “Animals are my friends…and I don’t eat my friends.”

Google Books
Kalakshetra Quarterly
Volume 8
1985
Pg. 39:
“Animals are my friends and I don’t eat my friends”— Rukmini Devi Arundale once said in support of vegetarianism.

Google Books
Title Animals Are My Friends and I Don’t Eat My Friends!: Dot Grid Notebook Journal, 120 Pages, Size 6x9 Inches, White Blank Paper
Author Notebook Publishing
Publisher Independently Published, 2019
ISBN 1690797894, 9781690797890
Length 122 pages

Twitter
Narayanan Ayipuzha
@a1narayanan
Apparently October 1 was World Vegetarian Day. Missed that. No matter. Everyday is vegetarian day fir me, anyway.
Talking of vegetarianism , remembered a quote attributed to Rukmini Devi Arundale: ” Animals are my friends. I don’t eat friends”.
Makes sense.
10:25 PM · Oct 3, 2019·Twitter for Android

Twitter
Vegan Posters
@veganposters
Animals are my friends. And I don’t eat my friends. - George Bernard Shaw #vegan
9:50 AM · Sep 27, 2020·VeganPosters

Twitter
The Sick Mindset
@thesickmindset
Animals are my friends…and I don’t eat my friends.
5:07 AM · Oct 5, 2020·Twitter Web App