If you've ever seen a child and an animal together, you'll know that there is a unique bond between them. And this boy's bond with his goat is no different. Three year old Adrian, was visiting Nepal with his family and they had planned to take part in a ritual sacrifice at a temple. When Adrian realised that the goat would be hurt his immediate response was to cling to his animal friend and cry. "Goats are in pain there" he says, pointing to the temple.

Adrian's cry for compassion was heard by millions of people around the world as the video of his reaction quickly went viral. The fact he understood that hurting his goat was wrong had a powerful impact on his family. Not only did they spare their goat from slaughter, as they walk away you can hear them say something that suggests an even deeper shift in their thinking.

Kids are innocent and have intelligent minds. We actually shouldn't do this thing. What's done in the past can't be undone, but we will not do it again.

As grown ups, we don't always allow ourselves to think of cows, pigs, sheep and goats as individuals. It makes the sad truth that they will soon be killed for meat harder to reconcile. But Adrian reminds us what kids seem to intrinsically know — these animals have thoughts and feelings and are deserving of our compassion.

There are some things in life that we don't really think to question, as they have always been done a certain way. But kids question EVERYTHING. And in that way they can often be our greatest teachers. Whether it be killing a goat at a temple or having animals killed and packaged for us, when we stop to ask why? as Adrian did, the answers (or lack thereof) may surprise us. If the reasoning is simply that it has always been done that way, perhaps it's time to ask ourselves — is there a better way?

You only need to read some of the comments under the video to see that Adrian has prompted many people to reconsider their choice to eat animals. If you're in the same boat, the answer is yes — there is a better way.

Cutting back on the animal products you eat, or eliminating them altogether, is the simplest way to spare animals from being killed. As an added bonus, there are tons of health benefits to plant-based eating. Find out more with a free starter kit.

How animals should be:

Treat yourself to 2 minutes of bliss, thanks to our rescued friends at Edgars Mission Farm Sanctuary.