The plight of mistreated animals might seem secondary for many of us. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, our lives have always been inextricably linked with the animal kingdom. Then, when footage of horses needing to be rescued from Hurricane Ian’s ravages early last month flood our social media newsfeeds, we come to understand the sometimes devastating plight of animals whose only mistake was being born and raised in the wrong place at the wrong time. This reporter was fascinated by a recent story about a media personality (Joy Lim Nakrin) and her very personal involvement with helping to rescue horses (among other animals) and bring a sense of restorative justice to their lives as they leave a tough existence and enter a better one. Joy spoke with Sampan about her work and the ongoing issues of animal rescue.
SAMPAN: Many of our readers are first generation Americans like yourself working towards their American dream while balancing that with generational cultural expectations. Your story is compelling in that you earned your law degree from Duke and ended up as a reporter/media personality, Could you speak about your journey basically going from behind the scenes in the world of jurisprudence to reporting on it?
Joy: Like many traditional Chinese-Filipino families, my family encouraged, and frankly, expected me to pursue traditional career trajectories such as medicine or law. I had tried to pursue pre-med in college but had a terrible time in the sciences, earning less than impressive grades. Ultimately I majored in philosophy where by default I had the most course credits with the highest grades, as I had a natural draw towards reading, writing, and analytical thought. Of course, my pragmatic Asian American family recognized that a philosophy degree would not be very practical, and encouraged me to go to law school. As it exercises similar skill sets and points of interest, I decided to pursue my juris doctorate from Duke University School of Law and went on to become certified with the Massachusetts Bar. Despite barely practicing law, it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made. When I later decided to pursue journalism, it gave me extra credibility and a niche. Rather than feeling hindered because I did not have a journalism degree, I felt more valued because I had a highly coveted law degree and licensing to match. It’s one of the instances where traditional Asian American values concerning education really paid off. My mother always told me that if I studied hard and proved myself in school then opportunities would come, and she was right.
SAMPAN: Was there a singular moment in your past that first motivated you to rescue animals?
Joy: My mother is the original equestrian in the family, having done rural medicine on horseback in the Philippines. She put me on a horse for the first time at age 4, and always had animals in our lives. But my compassion for animals and all living creatures deepened during my more than three years living in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia, as I began to explore the root influences of Asian cultures, including Buddhism. I learned about the Buddhist principles of interconnectedness between all living beings, and the duty to avoid harming any other living beings. During my time in Asia I transitioned to a mostly vegetarian diet, inspired by monks who avoid eating flesh so as not to harm other beings. With many soy based foods including tofu, and an array of spices and flavors, it was fairly easy to transition on Asian cuisine without feeling that I missed anything. I am now fully vegan, inspired not just by Buddhism but by many great social justice leaders including Gandhi, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, and Angela Davis. For I realized that while I had spent many years standing up for justice, I had been paying for violence and oppression. I realized that peace started on my own plate. For me the first principle was to do no harm. Then later as resources and time allowed, my family and I were able to take in rescue animals that needed our help. Our compassion and investment grew until last year we purchased a large farm for rescue.
SAMPAN: In your travels around this country and around the world, what has most concerned you about the plight of neglected, abused, abandoned animals?
Joy: The correlation between the suffering of human beings and animals is most noteworthy. We have at least 1 billion people starving on the planet, yet we raise, feed and kill an estimated 60 to 80 billion farmed animals each year (which we subject to lives of torture and misery). Traveling to extremely impoverished countries such as Cambodia, this link becomes painfully clear. More than 80% of starving children live in countries where food is grown to feed animals in developed countries. By consuming animal flesh we are choosing to partake in this extreme injustice. We are choosing for fresh soy, wheat, corn and other plant-based products to be fed to animals instead of feeding starving humans. This means inevitable torture for the deprived humans, as well as for the animals who will ultimately be slaughtered.
As our population grows, this issue becomes increasingly more pressing. On 1 acre of land some 50,000 pounds of tomatoes, potatoes or other crops can be grown whereas only 250 pounds of beef can be raised. If we want to sustain our population, fighting starvation, deforestation, climate change, and animal abuse, we must transition to a more sustainable and humane plant based diet. Respect for animals, the planet, and each other is the only way forward. Our fates are inextricably intertwined.
SAMPAN: Could you tell us how and why you first got involved with T.I.P. (Thoroughbred Incentive Program)?
Joy: I moved to Georgia with my family last spring in part to pursue a job as a correspondent with COURT-TV. But part of the decision was driven by the life I knew my family and I could create there. With a shared love of animals, and interest in rescue, we purchased a farm where we began adopting horses, cats, and even a pig saved from slaughter, in addition to our six rescue dogs who moved with us from Boston. One of the horses we adopted, Enduring Honor, was a former racing thoroughbred. I took him in from a racetrack rescue, with the knowledge that some 7500 former racing thoroughbreds are sent to slaughter in the US annually when they fail to turn a profit in the revenue-driven racing industry. Though Honor was extremely skinny with broken hooves, and seemed to know little more than to gallop, he was a sweet curious soul. I began working with him daily, while nourishing his body. Each day he grew stronger, while at the same time learning new skills as a riding horse. I soon began jumping him over small obstacles and instantly recognized his natural interest and talent for it. As each day passed, we took on new challenges (which he eagerly met especially when rewarded with lots of carrots). Within about 9 months I took him to his first local show jumping competition, where we won the championship in the 2-foot division. As our team performance continued to progress, I began increasingly interested in taking on a national stage. I learned about the Thoroughbred Incentive Program national championships held in Aiken, South Carolina which I thought would be a perfect entree into the national scene as it specifically targets the thoroughbred breed, to encourage rehoming. As a teenager, I had competed in some of the top horse shows in the country including Madison Square Garden and Washington International horse show in DC, but never imagined a “throw away” rescue horse could go this far. Little did I know we would walk away from this competition as national champions!
SAMPAN: T.I.P. is very active throughout the United States and 6 Canadian provinces. Is there a chance this could spread worldwide? Are there comparable programs internationally?
Joy: I know there are similar initiatives in Europe, as there is a similar problem. I love that Thoroughbred Incentive Program focuses exclusively on thoroughbreds, a breed at high risk for slaughter due to the racing industry. Through its tailored competitions and rewards systems, it encourages the rehoming of these horses, often overlooked and stereotyped as hotheaded, wild, and unmanageable. While rehoming is a critical part of the solution, overbreeding is the root cause. That’s just one of the reasons why there are growing calls for thoroughbred racing reform or even abolishment.
SAMPAN: Is this a targeted crusade or a general commitment? Is it about inspiring others to follow you or motivating legislators and the public at large to think more about justice for animals?
Joy: I’d say this is a general commitment to encourage everyone to show compassion. I hope that each of us considers how our choices can impact the lives of others. While we don’t all have the ability to help, we almost always have the ability to avoid harm. One doesn’t need to adopt rescue animals to save lives. The simplest thing you can do to improve the lives of animals is to abstain from harm and withdraw your support from products which encourage cruelty… be it food, clothing, or even cosmetics.
SAMPAN: What’s next for Joy Lim Nakrin as a lawyer, television legal analyst, and animal activist? Will there be more animal sanctuaries?
Joy: As our animal rescue operation grows, we hope to share the healing impact of animals with the broader community. I have been privileged to witness how interacting with the animals has had such a therapeutic and healing effect on my family and friends, including seniors with disabilities. Petting an animal is proven to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, stir forgotten memories and even increase ability. This seems especially true when folks hear the inspiring stories of our rescue animals, some of whom have suffered extreme torture and abuse, yet have overcome fear to become loving individuals. Our goal is to develop a program to help other seniors enjoy the therapeutic benefits of interacting with our rescue animals.
