A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
My name is Kyle DiFulvio. I’m 38 years old. I was born in New York, raised in Pennsylvania and spent a large amount of time in Florida and have been in California since 2002. I became vegetarian around the age of 19 and went fully vegan last year. I spent a good 10 plus years living as a professional musician; however, I got out of the music business for personal reasons and decided to go back to school. Recently, I decided to give music a go again – though, mostly for fun. My band plans to play some shows - if all goes well - later this year. I play with a few professional musicians who are also close friends. The name of our band is HALT. One of the girls in my band was in the popular 90’s alternative rock band The Breeders for quite some time. I currently study psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles. I’m working towards obtaining my doctorate – PsyD in clinical psychology, specializing in AAT (animal assisted therapy). I work an internship a few days a week helping take care of sick and abused rescued farm animals at the Gentle Barn’s Healing Center in Santa Clarita. After I get my doctorate, I plan to open my own rescue/sanctuary/farm/ranch for abused and neglected animals (farm and domesticated) in Santa Barbara County and treat clients there with an integration of animal care and appreciation of life and psychology.
I’m a fairly new freelance photographer. I’ve always loved photography and decided to take it up a few years ago. Since I became vegan, I’ve become fully aware and present to all of the injustice and oppression in this world. Recently, I’ve started to go to protests to participate and document what’s going on – this one being my first one. It was unbelievable to me. I’ve never been in the midst of so many compassionate, passionate, and intelligent people. I took a friend with me who is vegetarian and wants to go fully vegan. She is always educating herself on all the injustice and on the animal rights movement. She really didn’t know much about it until recently; she was floored by the protest and felt so empowered by it. (She even said she’s never met so many compassionate and nice people in one place before, which I think is very true about people in the animal rights movement.)
HALT (band websites)
www.wearehalt.com
Photography
facebook.com/kyledifulviophotography
These photographs were taken at the largest slaughterhouse protest in U.S.History organized by FARM. The powerful images certainy lend validity to the phrase, "a picture is worth a thousand words." The passion of these dedicated activists is clear. The woman pictured with the Holocaust sign states that she compares, as many animal advocates do, the Holocaust during WW II with the mass murder of animals on factory farms. She helped to save and protect Jewish victims of the Nazi regime. The founder of FARM is a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto during WW II. He, too, sees numerable comparisons between factory farming and the Holocaust. For more information on FARM visit: http://www.farmusa.org/
Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization working to end the use of animals for food through public education and grassroots activism. We believe in the inherent self-worth of animals, as well as environmental protection and enhanced public health. We operate just outside of Washington, DC and work through our Compassionate Activist Network (CAN) with volunteers in all 50 U.S. states and two dozen other countries.
We thank Kyle for these moving photographs, wish him all the best on his many and noble endeavors, and look forward to seeing more of his inspiring photography.