I am so touched by this letter. She is a brave little girl, she will do great things! Thanks for sharing

Verklempt a lot. And I'm not a kid person either. Gives you a little bit of hope, no?

I can honestly say that I am not a kid person. I don't have any nurturing feelings towards children (human children), but if all children were like this little girl, my feelings would most probably change. I am so happy that society hasn't conditioned her into believing it is ok to abuse animals, like it has most kids by her age. I wish there were more Mia's in this world.

Absolutely delightful! Thank you for sharing this!

How inspiring! Such a wonderful reminder to not be ashamed of your voice and opinions, and to stand up for those things you believe in.

Please post the teacher's response if there is any! I am so curious to see what she will say. I love this little girl! :)

I love this kid.

Wow, not only does she recognize the horrible plight of these animals, but she has the strength to go against the crowd and take a stand. I wish more adults had such strength of conviction!

What a wonderful story of compassion, and how great that her teacher enabled that natural empathy by encouraging Mia to share with her classmates.

Such an astute, compassionate and wonderful child! I was blown away by the awareness and sense of responsibility she manifests- I hope there are many more just like her all over the world. I wish you well, Mia, on your journey through life, as you plant the seeds of compassion along the way. What a blessing you are!

Hopefully the teacher learned something from her wise and compassionate young student.

Will Mia be able to see what everyone is writing? I'm sure many of us would like to Thank her. She is wise beyond her few years on this planet. You rock girl!

Mia is a sensitive, thoughtful, and compassionate human being. I can only hope that the Mias of the world will some day outnumber the Jay Astors of the world.

My seven-year-old son is also vegan and has opted to not go to his class field trip to the Long Beach Aquarium. He wants to meet Mia.

I got chills reading this lovely girl's letter - what a remarkable activist!!! I'm so impressed that she came to these conclusions on her own, educated her class (and teacher!), and is now extending her reach as this letter goes viral. Thanks for giving me hope in a future full of animal lovers like Mia!

I can not fully support the belief that the zoos are the bad guys because they have also been the means in which some species are kept in the public's mind. It is through seeing the living animals that has given support for keeping their habitat available to the wilds ones. Many nature preserves,rescue and protection agencies would never be in existent without the awareness of the plight of the animals that zoos bring to people who would never see such living breathing animals any other way. Zoo also are being used to preserve species with breeding and in some cases reintroduction programs. Zoos are more and more working on making a better environment for their animals. Many of the animals in zoos have been born and raised in them and have no knowledge of life outside of them. Most of them would never survive in the wild. The importance of zoos is to keep the wild ones in the wild and work on getting the bad zoos to fix their ways. Why does not Mia start a campaign to raise money to purchase more land for the zoo so that they can expand and create better habitats. If they had enough land they could make the kind of environment that are in other zoos. There is one zoo that has a habitat that connects 6 or 7 different species. It is designed so that every so often they push each species into a tunnel and moves them from one habitat to then next for a change of environment for the animals. There are zoos that have glass between the people and animals to keep the two better apart without harming the animals emotional environment. By not going to the zoo Mia is not seeing what needs to be done to better the lives of the animals with suggestions and campaigns for support for their better living.

HOLY Cow , Batman !! What a PAWsome kid ! Mia , I am so proud of you !! My animals would like you to know they are too, so here they are : BARK!

First off I'd like to applaud your child (and you!) for her choice to do what she firmly believes is right. Second off, I'd like to educate you a little about zoos. Yes, animals are in habitats of limited size. Some zoos are still pretty primitive, but those with AZA certification have to meet some pretty stringent standards. Aslo, contrary to popular belief, zoos don't go out into the wild to capture animals for human entertainment (more on that in a second) Most zoo animals are bred in captivity for generations, and there's a careful breeding program in place to insure as much genetic diversity in the population as possible. A good portion of zoo animals are taken from the pet trade, yes, even lions, tigers and alligators. Another large portion of zoo animals are animals that were injured, born with defects, or became too ill in the wild to survive. That's why you'll see sad looking eagles sitting on the ground in so many zoos with no cage around them... they are incapable of flight. None of these animals would survive outside the zoo. On the rare occasions zoos do take animals from the wild, they're collecting animals for an endangered species breeding program with the plan to restore them to the wild. There are currently several species which are extinct in their natural habitats and only exist due to careful captive breeding programs... programs geared toward wild restoration. Because these animals are to be returned to the wild, the public rarely sees them. They're generally kept behind the scenes and away from human contact. Also, zoos provide valuable research into animal behavior and care, research which is used to support the conservation of wild populations and increase our understanding of our ecosystem. And of course zoos provide education for young people, inspires the love of the animals they encounter, and lights the desire to care for all animals (as your daughter obviously does). Zoos have long ago gone beyond being mere menageries for the entertainment of the populace and for private profit. They're a vital and active part of the conservation community. "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught." ~ Baba Dioum

Wow, thanks so much for posting jasmin! What an inspiration little Mia is to other children. I also praise her parents for clearly fostering confidence and individuality in her child to stand for a cause she feels passionate about.

Such a beautiful and tragic letter from an astute young woman. May she never lose her empathy and critical thinking! In response to some of the comments regarding the "conservation" and "educational" functions of zoos, it's important to remember that there is no evidence that zoos promote attitude change, education, or interest in wildlife conservation in visitors. See http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/201004/zoos-and-aquariums-do-not-accomplish-what-they-claim-they-do. We also must remember that these animals, whether born in captivity or captured from the wild, will always be wild animals with innate needs that cannot be met in zoos even where there are the best of intentions. Elephants, for example, walk up to thirty miles each and every day in the wild. This is impossible at a zoo, and that's why it's so common to see these majestic animals swaying from side to side, bobbing their heads, and engaging in other stereotypic behaviors -- recognized signs of poor welfare. Big cats and bears are similarly frequently seen pacing back and forth, back and forth. Perhaps most disturbing are current efforts to capture endangered animals from the wild so that they can be displayed, in contravention of the very laws protecting them. The St. Louis Zoo, for example, has made clear its intention to capture and import wild polar bears from Canada while recognizing that this is contrary to the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. See http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2012/05/01/zoo-wants-help-to-get-polar-bears/.

I love her letter! The zoo really teaches nothing about animals except that society thinks it's ok to take away the freedom of other living creatures. A human baby born in jail should no less spend the rest of his/her life in jail than an animal born in captivity. Children naturally have a sense of wonder and love for animals. We don't have to see animals caged up to inspire our children to love them. That is false thinking. If we really love animals, see them in the wild. And that gives money to the organizations on the front lines fighting to save these animals.

I loved the letter! I loved that she helped to convert her dad towards eating a vegan diet. It is the best diet for everyone that is for sure. I feel a cure for every illness can come from a vegan diet. I do not feel it is the ticket to happiness however. Compassion is an inherent part of the human experience and should be exercised always. The goal of any human being is not just living compassionately but rediscovering our true selves. To know who we were before we were born and who we are after we die. Everyone who is ready to go home will rediscover the secret ways of all the religions and find a true living master who will show them the way to true happiness. If you desire to know the truth, it will seek you out. I will say this, in order to progress spiritually, a vegan diet is essential. I look forward to a more peaceful future with kids like Mia taking care of the planet. About zoos, I just put myself in the animals place and would rather be out in the wild no matter what my fate would be. I wonder if some of the caged animals were once zookeepers in a past life. Not all zookeepers, just the ones who created the negative karma. As you sow, so shall you reap. My two girls have been raised vegetarian and more recently vegan and I hope, they too, will stand up for our brothers and sisters who need a strong voice like Mia's to protect them.

Kate, I think you are misguided about zoos. Regardless of where the animals come from (wild vs. captive bred), they are still held captive and their needs are not being met. They are exploited for our entertainment, and very little "learning" actually occurs in zoos, other than to teach that it's okay to use animals for our own entertainment. Zoos are businesses. They use animals to make money. They are not good, and they should be abolished.