I think it is an interesting issue. I didn't know anthing about vegans until I knew a brazilian boy who is vegan and he explined it me. I really agree with the defence of animals rights, and here in Spain we have a great fight with it because of the Bulls... Here is called "Fiesta Nacional" (National Celebration), so I decided to belong to a group whose name is: This is not my National Celebration.
But Bulls aren't the only victims... because in my country there are a lot of celebrations where animals are tortured or used for being exploit; Brake in Horses to make them dance, using greyhound to hunt and then abandone them or kill them... in fact in my city there is an asociation to save greyhound because they are so much...
I think we have to be conciuos about all this and to defend animals right in general... But about the issue on being a vegan... I respect everyone chose but I think that we are animals too and we are made to be omnivorous... it means that we are in need of animals protein too.
I love my pet, he is a canary and to me he is a member of my family, I love birds and my balcony is always full of them, they come to my balcony because I put them water and bread... and it's very funny because they know when they have to come exactly to ask for the bread!
I have to admit that is sad to think about the way animals die to we can eat them... for example, the pig... in Spain we eat a lot of products of him. Everytime that I see a little pig I think: Poor! Because the way to kill a pig is really savage! Maybe a I could live without eat pig but I'm pretty sure that I can't live without eating fish, in fact when I have passed long time without eat it, I have noticed that I was needing it vitamins... "Omega". I supose that if you don't use to eat fish so you don't need this vitamin...
But the great issue to me is the system of production, and not if we eat animals or not. The system of production affect clothes, and workers. Maybe we decide to be vegan and not consume products of animals (food and clothes) but you are wearing a t-shirt who someone sewed in Egypt or India by a poor salary or as slave...
So to me the goal is changing the system in general!