WHO?

Susan Hargreaves empowers all ages to be heroes to all species of animals via her award-winning, interactive education presentations, activism, speaking engagements and writing. International and national media have lauded her over four decades-long work to stop animal cruelty. Susan’s mission to create animal heroes has been covered by Yahoo News.

Susan emigrated into the united states as a person of extraordinary ability in the field of humane education, a category reserved for Olympic athletes. She has received references and praise for her empathy fostering work from Jane Goodall, Michelle Obama, Ingrid Newkirk, Joaquin Phoenix and Paul McCartney. The global news magazine, Formidable Woman, wrote a feature article on Susan and her goals to save all species of animals. 

Susan founded the youth empowerment education charity Animal Hero Kids and infuses it with the passion, wisdom, and determination acquired during a lifetime devoted to animal activism. The Hollywood Times focused on her empowering work. 

Shaun Monson, the acclaimed Earthlings filmmaker has completed an original short documentary entitled The Heart Whisperer featuring Susan. Influential People Magazine covered the documentary. 

Her recent Veganza Animal Heroes young adult novel and vegan guide debuted at number one in the New Release categories for young adults, teens  and ecology on Amazon. The global tour was featured in International news media including Dublin Live News.

Susan is a Skipping Stone Honor Award winning writer, awarded by the worldwide multicultural youth magazine of the same name. She zeroes in on fostering empathy, increasing critical thinking skills and providing the knowledge and the tools to be kinder to all species via her books, programs and campaigns. Susan has been a guest on National Public Radio (NPR) for interviews and talk shows as an expert on animal abuse issues including marine mammal captivity.

Susan plays a unique role in supporting, encouraging, and empowering others to build a more compassionate world for all animals and was chosen for the top environmentalist list in the New Times newspaper.

Susan has been a vegan since 1985 and a vegetarian in 1980. The Veganza Animal Hero Claymation filmmaker was in kindergarten when he first met Susan when she gave a presentation at his pre-school when he was 6 years old. The Los Angeles-based TV Grapevine focused on this “full circle” coincidence.

Cruelty-free vegan fare tastings and activities are a featured component in her programs, which often showcase stories of outstanding acts of rescue and courage by youth. Susan unites, celebrates and informs at the vegan events she organizes. She dreams of opening an education center with a vegan cafe and a small sanctuary for school field trips. The Be an Animal Hero summit united pro-active youth and was covered by the Sun Sentinel. Susan can be reached at BEanAnimalHero.org  

Explore Susan's background and experience below, 

see some of Susan's work and "What" she has accomplished, or 

contact us to book Susan for a program with your organization.

Investigated animal abuse at stockyards, rodeos, and circuses. Closed down two rodeos, and exposed the inherent, routine cruelty perpetrated at circuses, factory farms, and the practice of “sport” hunting.

• Author of Animal Hero Kids, Voices for the Voiceless, which earned the Skipping Stone Honor award.
• Rehabilitated and released injured and orphaned wildlife in South Florida. Advocated effectively against the Florida Black Bear family massacre and helped halt the hunt in 2016.
• Created the Animal Hero Kids Awards drawing support from celebrities including Sir Paul McCartney, Joaquin Phoenix, Jessica Chastain, Ricky Williams, John Salley and Suzy Amis-Cameron.
• The first to create interactive, dramatizations where the elementary school children role played in costumes to promote empathy for the animals they are portraying.
• Led ARK-II, the Canadian Animal Rights network. She gained national media coverage by creating innovative, colorful, direct action campaigns. Initiated International Day of the Seal actions in 50 cities, globally.
• Hosted and piloted the first radio series in Toronto dedicated to animal protection, Animal Voices. Hosted two radio series in South Florida on animal issues.
• Author of children’s coloring/activity/story book, The Hare-Raising Adventures of Rabbitta the III & Animal Hero Tips
• Founder of EarthKind, a non-profit humane education organization. She served as Chairperson for EarthSave International’s Miami Chapter. Susan also customized a school field trip education center to host professionals, students to learn how to be heroes for animals, and provided vegan fare as part of the program.

International Awards and Honors

• Eco-Hero Humane and Environmental Education Award – Nature, Life Truth & Health Organization, 2001
• Wildlife Educator Award, Wildlife Care Center, 2001
• Media Spokesperson of the Year Award, 1400 WFTL Radio Station, 1998
• The Compassionate Educator Award by the Archbishop McKenzie, Animal Rescue Mission (ARM), 1995

Previous speaking engagements include:

Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, 2006

Miami-Dade College, North and South Campus, 2003 / 2004 / 2005

Animals & Ethics Study Center, Miami, FL, Teach the Teacher Humane Education Course, 2004

Women in Distress family residences, Broward County, Florida, 2003 / 2004 / 2005

Broward and Dade County Public Library Systems (individual branch locations, 1999 / 2000 / 2001 / 2002

Action for Animals Symposium, Gainesville, Florida, 2000 / 2001 / 2002

Compassion for Animals Week, Miami-Dade Community College Panel, 2002

“How to Foster Compassion”, EarthSave International Quarterly, Fall 2002

Wild Kids News, quarterly 2001 / 2002

School for Advanced Studies, Miami-Dade Community College, 2001

EarthSave Summit, San Diego, CA, 2001

The Bishop Strachan School, Toronto, Canada, 1995

Boca News / Educational piece, 1999

University of Florida, 1998

University of Tallahassee, Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Debate, 1998

Niagara Action for Animals, Niagara Falls, 1995

McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, 1995

University of Toronto, 1994

Western University, Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, London, Ontario, 1994

Toronto Vegetarian Fair at the Harbor front, 1993 / 1994

Applewood Institute, Mississauga, 1993 / 1994

“A Shell Cracks”, Toronto Vegetarian Association Guide, 1993

Marine Mammals Conference, Vancouver, BC, 1993

Guelph University, Guelph, Ontario, 1991

Earth Fair, Florida International University, 1989

Earth Week, Miami-Dade Community College, 1989

Festival for the Animals, Toronto City Hall, 1984

Plus over 700 speaking engagements at Elementary, High Schools, Colleges and

Universities throughout Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, 1998 – present. 

Contact us to schedule Susan for a speaking engagement.